Norwich boss Dean Smith praised his players for their bravery to clinch a 1-0 win in front of Sunderland’s frustrated fans. The Canaries boss knew this side would face a hostile atmosphere at the Stadium of Light following Black Cats manager Alex Neil’s apparently imminent decision to quit the Wearside club for Stoke.
Josh Sargent’s 76th-minute goal denied Sunderland a home win for the third time since Neil guided them to promotion back to the Championship after a four-year gap.
But it was the efforts of his defenders at the other end – led by captain Grant Hanley – which earned Norwich their first away win of the season following defeats at Cardiff and Hull.
Smith said: “It was a very, very hard-fought win and the resilience we showed pleased me the most. “We got some really good blocks in and put our bodies on line to keep the ball out of the net and sometimes you have to do. “We had to withstand some pressure at times, which I expected.