Three second half goals - including one of the most comical own goals seen at
Carrow Road for a long time - kept Norwich in the thick of the Division One
play-off picture and severely dented Preston's hopes of making the top six.
A disappointing encounter looked to be heading nowhere when Canaries skipper
Iwan Roberts opened the scoring with a powerful header on 61 minutes to make a
triumphant return after seven weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury.
That goal set the scene for a pulsating last half an hour, with Norwich making
the point safe in bizarre fashion 10 minutes from the end.
There appeared to be no danger as visiting defender Brian Alexander sent a
pass back towards keeper Tepi Moilanen, who was under absolutely no pressure.
But the Finnish international, attempting to control the ball, missed it
completely and watched in horror as it trickled over his goalline.
That freak goal completely knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and their
misery was complete three minutes from time when Northern Ireland international
Phil Mulryne added a third.
The midfielder, a target for the Carrow Road boo-boys after turning down a new
contract, answered his critics in perfect style by curling in a magnificent
free-kick from the edge of the area to set the seal on an excellent second half
display.
The opening 45 minutes had been almost a total non-event, especially for the
home fans with Norwich failing to produce a single effort on goal.
The visitors were not much better but might have gone ahead two minutes before
the interval when keeper Robert Green needed to pull off an excellent full
stretch stop to keep out a low drive from David Healy which was heading for the
bottom corner.
After the interval it was Norwich, who had won just once in eight games before
tonight, who began to take control - although it needed the formidable presence
of Roberts to get the all-important opening goal.
Preston skipper Sean Gregan was penalised for handball on the right hand edge
of the penalty area and Steen Nedergaard's whipped-in cross was ideal for the
big Welsh international striker.
From then on Norwich looked firmly in control - especially after Moilanen's
blunder - and Mulryne's late strike was no more than they deserved as Preston
fell apart towards the end.
The visitors were even denied the consolation of a goal of their own deep into
injury-time when Green turned Healy's goalbound free-kick just round the
upright, while at the other end Roberts was foiled by Moilanen.
The victory moves Norwich up to seventh place, level on points with the team
above them - Coventry.
Preston, play-off finalists last year, now appear to be losing touch - they
lie six points behind the sixth-placed Sky Blues.
Teams
Norwich: Green, Nedergaard, Mackay, Fleming, Sutch,
Rivers (Notman 61), Mulryne, Holt, McVeigh, Iwan Roberts,
Nielsen (Benjamin 80).
Subs Not Used: Crichton, Andy Roberts, McGovern.
Booked: Fleming.
Goals: Iwan Roberts 62, Alexander 81 og, Mulryne 88.
Preston: Moilanen, Alexander, Lucketti, Gregan, Edwards,
McKenna (Basham 71), Keane (Skora 82), Etuhu,
Anderson (Gudjonsson 66), Cresswell, Healy.
Subs Not Used: Lucas, Eaton.
Booked: Edwards, Cresswell.
Att: 19,506
Ref: B Knight (Orpington).
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