Norwich 2-0 Wolves

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Division One leaders Wolves suffered their first away defeat of the season as fellow highfliers Norwich confirmed their status as genuine promotion contenders with a deserved victory.

First-half goals from Molineux old boy Iwan Roberts - his eighth of the season - and Paul McVeigh settled a pulsating encounter.

Wolves, who had won six and drawn two of their previous away matches, had plenty of the ball but came up against an inspired City rearguard.

Norwich, who have dropped just two points out of 21 at home this season, always looked a good bet to end the leaders' proud record on their travels.

And so it proved with Nigel Worthington's side moving up to second place in as a result of their win.

The hosts opened the scoring after just six minutes with their very first attack of the game.

Man-of-the-match McVeigh produced one of his trademark mazy runs down the left before finding Marc Libbra with a clever pass.

The Frenchman drove the ball across the face of goal to an unmarked Mark Rivers.

Convincing

And although the former Crewe man's shot was blocked on the line by Jolean Lescott, Roberts was on hand to tap home the 75th goal of his Carrow Road career.

The Canaries extended their lead after 32 minutes with a goal that had quality written all over it.

The move started deep in the Norwich half with Steen Nedergaard.

Libbra then produced a sublime flick to send Rivers clear on the right.

The winger took the ball to the by-line before beating Lee Naylor and sending over a perfect cross to the unmarked McVeigh, who converted with a sweet right-foot half-volley.

Michael Oakes did well to save Libbra's free-kick to his right and a goalbound shot from McVeigh was deflected just wide by Lescott.

Wolves had their best chance of getting back into the game mid-way through the second half.

Lescott's shot though a crowded area only to see his shot palmed away, but Oakes was still the busier keeper.

Libbra also saw his goalbound chip headed off the line by Paul Butler as the Canaries finished the game as convincingly as they had started it.

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Norwich: Green, Nedergaard, Mackay, Fleming, Drury, Mulryne, Holt, Rivers, Roberts, McVeigh, Libbra. Subs: Crichton, Notman, Sutch, Llewellyn, Russell.

Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Lescott, Butler, Naylor, Sinton, Newton, Rae, Cameron, Branch, Blake. Subs: Robinson, Proudlock, Roussel, Pollet, Murray.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).