Norwich City moved off the bottom of the Premier League table with an excellent 2-1 home win over Southampton to kick-off the Dean Smith reign in style.
Carrow Road rocked at full-time after Grant Hanley had headed a winner in the 79th minute, from a Billy Gilmour corner.
Teemu Pukki's early header, his fourth goal of the season, had cancelled out Che Adams' opener in the fourth minute.
A much-improved second half, after Josh Sargent replaced Todd Cantwell at the break, saw City come from behind to seal back-to-back wins.
With Newcastle held to a 3-3 draw by Brentford, it moves the Canaries up a place to 19th.
KEY MOMENTS
4 – GOAL - Grant Hanley misjudges a pass into the box, Saints striker Che Adams squeezes away from him and Max Aarons then fires a low shot in off the far post. 0-1
8 – GOAL - A rapid response as Milot Rashica and Aarons link well on the right, with the latter getting to the bye-line and crossing to the near post for Pukki to power in a close-range header.
22 – Ben Gibson again does well, blocks Adam Armstrong's shot behind after Hanley got pulled out of position. Then Gibson clears the James Ward-Prowse corner. Heavy pressure from the visitors.
34 - Crowd fume at Todd Cantwell as he tries to win a cheap foul instead of making sure of the clearance. Ends with Mohamed Salisu driving a shot at Tim Krul.
40 - Cantwell loses the ball trying to play out of trouble, lovely turn from Ibrahima Diallo and tees up Mohamed Elyounoussi on the edge of the box but it’s a brilliant block from Hanley.
43 – SAVE - Disastrous attempted turn from Hanley on halfway, Diallo charges forward and Adams squeezes a shot past Gibson, Krul with a strong right hand to keep the shot out of his bottom-right corner, to a huge cheer.
46 – Cantwell replaced by Josh Sargent.
53 – Brandon Williams wins the ball back for City, Rashica attacks but tees up Mathias Normann, gets it back and turns, low shot but McCarthy drops down to hold at his feet.
76 – SAVE - Excellent work from Gilmour gets Pukki away, toys with Salisu and then drills near post, big paw around the post from McCarthy.
79 – GOAL - Rashica wins a corner, Gilmour delivers from the left and sends it deep, Hanley rises at the back post to nod the ball in and send the Barclay end wild. 2-1
90+3 - Ward-Prowse great cross and substitute Walcott nods down at the back post and wide, a huge let off.
KEY FACTS
NORWICH (4-3-3): Krul; Aarons, Hanley (C), Gibson, Williams; Gilmour (Rupp 86), Normann, McLean; Rashica (Tzolis 90), Pukki, Cantwell (Sargent 46). Subs: Gunn (GK), Omobamidele, Giannoulis, Lees-Melou, Placheta, Idah
Booked: Williams (push on Bednarek, 64), Krul (time-wasting, 90+3), Normann (foul on Broja, 90+4)
SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): McCarthy; Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Diallo, Ward-Prowse (C), Romeu (Lyanco 73), Elyounoussi (Broja 57); Adams (Walcott 62), A Armstrong. Subs: Forster (GK), Perraud, Valery, Tella, Smallbone, Long
Booked: Bednarek (push on Williams, 64), Walker-Peters (foul on Sargent, 72)
REFEREE: Martin Atkinson
VAR: John Brooks
ATTENDANCE: 26,885
NCFC SNAP RATINGS
Krul 7, Aarons 6, Hanley 7, Gibson 7, Williams 7, Gilmour 6, Normann 6, McLean 7, Cantwell 5, Pukki 7, Rashica 7. Subs: Sargent 7, Rupp N/A, Tzlois N/A
MATCH STATS
(City - Saints)
Possession: 37% -63%
Shots: 8 - 17
Shots on Target: 4 - 5
Corners: 5 - 7
Fouls: 8 - 9
NCFC EXTRA: Birthday boy Hanley hails Norwich City fightback
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