Norwich power past Millwall as Josh Sargent lights up Carrow Road with second-half brace

Bottom after three games, Norwich moved into the top six ahead of the weekend fixtures as a result of a deserved win and are beginning to look like the promotion challengers they were expected to be at the start of the campaign.

Millwall battled bravely, but did not have enough quality to get themselves back into the game once they had gone behind just after the break.

Dean Smith's side started brightly, although they struggled to create clear-cut chances against resolute visitors.

Kenny McLean might have done better with an early header from a Danel Sinani corner, while Sargent's glancing header from a Marcelino Nunez cross was not too far wide.

But Bartosz Bialkowski in the Lions' goal was largely untroubled and as the half wore on the Canaries lost their sparkle, giving Millwall a chance to get into dangerous positions on a couple of occasions, with George Honeyman and Benik Afobe both off target with headers.

While Norwich's football had been pleasing on the eye in the opening period, there had been a distinct lack of goalmouth excitement and the hosts were quick to up their tempo after the break.

They were rewarded in the 50th minute when Sargent played an exquisite one two with Sinani just inside the box, after being picked out by Kieran Dowell, and lashed the ball past Bialkowski to break the deadlock in emphatic fashion.

Nunez then curled a free-kick narrowly wide after Sargent had been upended just outside the box, before the lively striker charged down an attempted clearance from Bialkowski and almost tucked away the loose ball.

Millwall weathered the storm and fought hard for an equaliser but were largely kept at arm's length by a compact Norwich side who deservedly doubled their advantage 15 minutes from time.

Again it was Sargent who did the damage, this time from a swift breakaway as high clearance fell for Dowell, who calmly slid in his in-form colleague to steer the ball past the exposed Bialkowski.

Afobe flicked a Murray Wallace header just over from a corner for the visitors, while a piledriver from substitute Andreas Voglsammer was tipped onto the crossbar by Tim Krul, but the impressive Canaries had few problems seeing the game out.