Norwich City 1 Middlesbrough 2: Boro's winning run continues

Sam Greenwood's goal, just seconds into the second half, and a stoppage-time clincher from sub Samuel Silvera confirmed a seventh straight win in all competitions.

Boro, winless in their first seven league outings, were rock bottom on September 19 following a 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.

Victories over Southampton, Watford, Cardiff, Sunderland and Birmingham and now Norwich plus a League Cup elimination of Bradford  have changed the picture completely.

Now it is a question of whether Carrick and Co can emulate last season's rapid rise, from 21st when he became Chris Wilder's replacement on October 24 last year to the play-off semis and a narrow defeat by Coventry. 

On this showing you'd have to say 'why not?' Norwich, who saw Jon Rowe pull one back seconds before the end, are no great shakes but Boro were comfortably better than the score-line suggests.

Carrick made two changes from the side that beat Birmingham, with Rav van den Berg and ex-Canary Jonny Howson coming in for the injured Tommy Smith and Dan Barlaser, who joined Morgan Rogers, scorer of a late winner against the Blues, on the bench.

Norwich, with ex-Boro men Ben Gibson and Onel Hernandez starting and Adam Forshaw on the bench, handed a first league start to keeper George Long in place of injured first-choice Angus Gunn.

A minute's silence was held beforehand to mark the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton and former Boro defender Bill Gates.

Gates, 79, played more than 300 games for Boro between 1961 and 1973 and co-founded the Head For Change charity, which highlights and researches links between football and dementia.

Boro, in all-white, saw Matt Crooks attempt to chip Long from the right flank early on before Gabriel Sara curled a free-kick over Sent Dieng's crossbar at the other end.

Marcelino Nunez, one of two fresh faces in the Canaries line-up, forced Dieng into his first save soon after but Norwich's next attempt saw Jon Rowe fire over.

It was a passive start by the visitors, with Norwich confident in possession but given scant backing by a taciturn home support.

Suddenly a clear chance emerged from Lukas Engel's burst into the left of the box in the 19th minute. The ball was pulled back for Isaiah Jones to let fly from 16 yards but Kenny McLean threw himself in the way to block.

Adam Idah sliced Dael Fry's downward header from a corner over his own crossbar and Josh Coburn forced Long into a save from the flag-kick that followed.

Boro were buoyed and Engel saw a volley blocked from the next foray forward but Carrick's side were saved by Howson's intervention at the back to stop a Norwich counter featuring Hernandez and Rowe going all the way.

Coburn remained a threat at the other end however and forced Long into another stop. Not long after Engel fired narrowly over after popping up again on the left.

The signs were encouraging for the visitors - and Norwich required Shane Duffy's block on the line from Hayden Hackney in the 34th minute to keep the score at 0-0. 

Crooks nodded wide from a Howson free-kick before Greenwood tested Long from distance; the home fans weren't happy and booed the half-time whistle.

Whatever Canaries manager David Wagner said at the break it clearly didn't work as Boro scored within 30 seconds of the restart. Dimitris Giannoulis saw a pass to Sara intercepted by Hackney, who swiftly sent Coburn goalwards.

The striker unselfishly squared for Greenwood, whose run had been untracked by home defenders, to beat Long from inside the box on the left.

Norwich had to reply but Nunez, set up by Giannoulis, pinged his shot off the bar.

Boro replied with a shot from Crooks that Long stopped with a leg and Coburn found the side-netting in the 66th minute.

Silvera, on in the 83rd minute, wrapped up victory with a low drive from just inside the box in the second minute of stoppage-time with a low shot into the bottom corner.

Rowe pulled one back with a cracking angled drive from the left of the box but it was too late for Norwich.

end