Norwich City cruised to a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in their Premier League clash at Carrow Road.
Cameron Jerome put the Canaries ahead in the first half when he converted Wes Hoolahan's low cross, and the Republic of Ireland midfielder doubled his side's advantage after the break.
Debutant Matt Jarvis secured the win for Alex Neil's men, despite a late consolation goal from Steve Cook.
Here, Sports Mole analyses the game to see if the result was fair.
Match statistics
NORWICH
Shots: 12
On target: 4
Possession: 48%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 10
BOURNEMOUTH
Shots: 7
On target: 2
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Norwich were far the better side in the 90 minutes at Carrow Road and deserved to record the victory. Neil's men were busy in the opening stages of the game, but lacked a clinical edge in the final third of the pitch. Hoolahan then provided the spark they were looking for when he beat Cook to tee up Jerome in the middle to fire the Canaries ahead. Bournemouth could have levelled before the break when Callum Wilson struck the post and that proved to be crucial when Hoolahan doubled his side's advantage early in the second half. Norwich took command of the match in the second period and could have scored further goals and the visitors pushed men forward looking for a way back into the game, which had little chance of occuring as the home side proved to be resilient at the back. Neil's men displayed their new-found confidence with a flowing move for the third goal which sealed the win, despite Cook's late headed effort. A complete performance from the Canaries, which will delight the Scot.
NORWICH's performance
It took a little while for the home side to get going as they lacked energy in the final third of the pitch. They were searching for a spark and found it when Hoolahan weaved his way past Cook and put the ball on a plate for Jerome to fire in the opener. The Republic of Ireland midfielder dictated the game from that point onwards, despite Wilson's chance just before the break. Norwich took control of the match in the early stages of the second half and got their second goal, which gave them comfort when Hoolahan was allowed to run to the edge box and show his quality by placing the ball into the bottom corner. The Canaries' confidence began to show as they played incisive passes with ease to carve out further opportunities and Nathan Redmond and Robbie Brady went close before Jarvis put the match beyond doubt when he finished a flowing move by collecting Jonny Howson's pass and firing into the top corner. Defensively, Norwich had two brief lapses when Wilson struck the post at the end of the first half as he got the wrong side of his marker from a free kick, while Cook's goal was down to a lapse in concentration. Neil will be a little bit concerned that both opportunities came from set pieces, but the overriding feelings of the victory may allow his players a pass on this occasion.
BOURNEMOUTH's performance
The Cherries will be disappointed by their efforts at Carrow Road as they allowed themselves to be cut open at the back far too easily. The visitors did not make the home side work hard for their goals as Hoolahan was able to slip pass Cook very quickly for the opener and Jerome was left free in the middle to convert. In the second half, the midfielder was allowed to raid into the space and have a free shot from the edge of the box to notch the second, while the same could be said of the third goal. Tactically, Howe's men were naive to allow a home team to have that much space and will to play with creative freedom, which he will have to learn from quickly in the Premier League. Wilson was a bright spot for the Cherries as he was a constant thorn in the side of the Norwich defence and was unlucky not to score. He provided good runs throughout the match, but the supply from the midfield was lacking. Bournemouth will be disappointed by their efforts in the middle of the park as they lost the battle in midfield, especially in the early stages of the second half, which led to their downfall.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Wes Hoolahan: The Republic of Ireland international was outstanding for the Canaries in the middle of the park. He was the spark that got them going in the final third of the pitch as he produced a fine run and pass to set up Jerome. He displayed his own fine finishing skills for the second goal and was a constant threat for Norwich before he was withdrawn in the 71st minute. A fine display.
Biggest gaffe
The Bournemouth defence made the interesting decision to allow Hoolahan to run and run some more before he got to the edge of the area. They still did not decide close him down when he pulled the trigger and they paid for their mistake when he found the bottom corner.
Referee performance
Martin Atkinson had a simple game on his hands, but disrupted the flow of the match with needless blows on the whistle and over-the-top yellow cards. He set his stall out to stamp his authority on the game with early bookings, but then appeared to change his mind in the second half when he should have sent off Simon Francis for a second bookable offence for a challenge on Brady, which was a lot worse than his first caution.
What next?
NORWICH: The Canaries take on Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday.
BOURNEMOUTH: Howe's men host Sunderland at Dean Court next Saturday.
Simon Sinclair
