Premier League with victory over Middlesbrough in
the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
In a match worth a potential £120m to the victors,
Cameron Jerome took advantage of a Daniel Ayala
error to put the Canaries ahead.
It was 2-0 after 15 minutes when Nathan Redmond
arrowed a shot into the corner.
Jelle Vossen came closest for Boro when he struck
the bar, but their six-year absence from the top
flight continues.
Victory for the Canaries in front of more than
85,000 fans is the culmination of a remarkable run
of results under manager Alex Neil.
The 33-year-old was unheralded in England, but
presided over Hamilton's promotion to the Scottish
Premiership last season. That was enough for him
to be given the chance to replace Neil Adams at
Carrow Road in January, with the club seventh in
the table and three points off the play-offs.
Neil oversaw victory in his maiden game in charge
against eventual league champions Bournemouth,
the first of 17 wins in 25 games during his tenure,
and will now become the youngest manager in
England's top flight, beating Swansea's 36-year-
old boss Garry Monk.
For his opposite number Aitor Karanka and Boro,
though, it ends a season that had promised so
much, built on the meanest defence in the league,
conceding 37 goals in 46 games.
Karanka, the former assistant manager to Chelsea
boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, has also seen
a great deal of improvement during his 18 months
in charge after taking over from Tony Mowbray in
November 2013 with the side 16th in the table.
But, in a game referred to as the 'richest in
football', his side fell short thanks to three first-
half minutes when Norwich scored twice.
Given the weight of pressure, it was an
understandably nervy opening but the game
sprang into life when both sides hit the crossbar
within 30 seconds of each other.
First, Norwich midfielder Bradley Johnson powered
a left-foot volley against the bar, only for Boro to
go straight down the other end and rattle the
woodwork themselves with Vossen's delightful
long-range effort.
Ex-Birmingham City duo
Nathan Redmond and
Cameron Jerome put
Norwich 2-0 up inside 15
minutes
Boro had arrived at Wembley late after being stuck
in traffic, and their lack of preparation time may
well have had a hand in gifting Norwich the
opening goal.
Ex-Canaries defender Ayala dithered on the ball
down their right, allowing Norwich top scorer
Jerome to nick it off him, run into the area and
calmly slot past Dimi Konstantopoulos at his near
post for his 21st of the season.
And only three minutes later, Norwich, unbeaten
on the road under Neil, were 2-0 up against a side
who had kept 22 clean sheets this campaign.
Steven Whittaker played a great ball into the
channel for Redmond and the England Under-21
winger struck home a low effort past a despairing
Konstantopoulos to send one end of Wembley into
an unexpectedly early ecstasy.
Boro struggled to get any sort of foothold in the
game, so at half-time Karanka brought off right-
back Dean Whitehead for forward Emilio Nsue.
Norwich had kept Championship player of the year
Patrick Bamford quiet for the first hour, but his
turn and shot was the first real test for keeper
John Ruddy.
Boro's main threat came from Albert Adomah
down the right, but Norwich's central defensive
partnership of Sebastien Bassong and captain
Russell Martin dealt with every ball into the
middle.
It was in fact Norwich who went closest to getting
a third when Redmond fired just wide from a free-
kick on the edge of the box.
Bamford then had the chance to pull the ball back
to Kike but Scotland international Martin cleared
his centre, and Norwich held on to return to the
top flight.
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