Dan Casey’s stunning second-half goal gave Motherwell a shock 2-1 win over Rangers at Ibrox and handed the initiative in the cinch Premiership title race back to Celtic.

Stuart Kettlewell’s side silenced most of Ibrox in the ninth minute with a goal from striker Theo Bair which left the Light Blues struggling to read an unexpected script.

Gers skipper James Tavernier scored from the spot on the hour after the VAR had intervened but Irish defender Casey restored the visitors’ lead with a close-range finish in the 74th minute for the first Well win in the league in Govan since 1997.

It was a first defeat in 12 games in all competitions for Philippe Clement’s side and although they remain two points clear of their Old Firm rival at the top of the table, Celtic get the chance to leapfrog them against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.

Clement’s side had fought back to beat Kilmarnock 2-1 at Rugby Park on Wednesday night, which kept them ahead of the Hoops and it was widely believed that three more points would be garnered against the Steelmen.

Ridvan Yilmaz, Nico Raskin, Dujon Sterling and Cyriel Dessers came back in to the team amid the usual rotation.

Motherwell, with defender Shane Blaney and on-loan Blackburn striker Jack Vale returning, arrived in eighth place fresh from a 3-1 win at bottom side Livingston.

The visitors had the first chance when defender Bevis Mugabi headed a Blair Spittal corner over the bar but they did not miss the second. Vale got past defender John Souttar and cut the ball back for Bair to steer the ball past goalkeeper Jack Butland and in off the post for his sixth goal in nine games.

Dessers headed a Yilmaz past the post and Well keeper Liam Kelly punched a dipping shot from Mohamed Diomande past the post for a corner before Kelly made an even better save from Yilmaz’s swerving shot from distance.

The traffic towards the Motherwell goal was busy but in the 35th minute Spittal had a decent effort saved by Butland, before winger Ross McCausland was replaced by Fabio Silva after failing to shake off the effects of a crunching Casey tackle.

Silva weakly knocked a long pass from Connor Goldson into the arms of a grateful Kelly and Rangers’ best chance of the first-half was gone.

Tom Lawrence replaced Raskin for the start of the second half and within two minutes Dessers had the ball in the Well net from a yard out but the flag was up for an infringement as a clutch of players contested a high ball.

Soon after Spittal’s flick hit the crossbar at the other end, the Govan side were level.

There was a long VAR check for a penalty when Motherwell right-back Stephen O’Donnell tackled Silva inside the box and when referee Alan Muir checked his pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot, Tavernier smashed the ball high past Kelly for his 21st goal of the season.

The home fans roared Rangers on for a winner and Sterling missed the target when set up by John Lundstram.

However, sprightly Motherwell retained more than a hint of danger.

Bair got past Goldson to spring a Motherwell break but hit his pass straight at Souttar, although Casey made no mistake when he headed in Spittal’s deep cross to the back post.

Rangers threw everything forward in the final stages.

Kelly made good saves from Lundstram and Yilmaz and Goldson twice missed the target with headers from six yards and Well defender Paul McGinn cleared off the line.

But Casey’s goal was a blow from which Rangers did not recover and they will need to dig deep when they play the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Benfica in Lisbon on Thursday night.

Myziane Maolida and substitute Dylan Levitt struck in the second half as Hibernian defeated relegation-threatened Ross County 2-0 at Easter Road to climb into the top six of the cinch Premiership.

The home support had to be patient as County kept them at bay until a mistake from goalkeeper George Wickens gifted them the opener just before the hour mark.

The victory extended Hibs’ unbeaten run in all competitions to five games and allowed them to move above Dundee and back into the top half of the table. County remain second bottom, six points clear of last-placed Livingston.

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery named the same side that started Wednesday’s 1-1 draw away to city rivals Hearts.

There were two changes to the County team that started Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to St Mirren as James Brown and Jack Baldwin replaced Loick Ayina and Simon Murray.

Despite their lowly league position, the Staggies settled well into the match and kept their hosts at arm’s length early on.

The only time they looked in any real danger in the first half was in the 17th minute when Wickens had to make an impressive double save to deny Maolida and then Emiliano Marcondes.

At the other end, midfielder Victor Loturi created an opportunity for himself in the 25th minute when he intercepted a slack pass from Marcondes inside the centre circle and surged forward towards the edge of the box but his shot was beaten away by goalkeeper David Marshall.

Hibs made a change for the start of the second half as Levitt came on for Nathan Moriah-Welsh in central midfield.

Within a minute of the restart, the Edinburgh side almost went ahead when Maolida slipped a pass into the box and Marcondes sent a low shot towards goal from 10 yards but Wickens was equal to it.

The hosts fashioned another opening when Martin Boyle – after being released down the right by Lewis Miller – cut the ball back perfectly for Dylan Vente but the forward chose to dummy it on the edge of the six-yard box and the opportunity was gone.

Another delivery from the right led to the deadlock being broken in the 59th minute. Vente ran on to a pass from Levitt and whipped in a low cross that was spilled on the edge of the six-yard box by Wickens and Maolida reacted quickest to poke home the loose ball for his fourth goal since arriving from Hertha Berlin in January.

County almost equalised in the 71st minute when Brandon Khela’s ball in from the left found Eamonn Brophy in a central position seven yards out but the striker’s effort was brilliantly kept out by Marshall.

Levitt sealed the win in the 86th minute when he received a pass from fellow substitute Elie Youan just outside the box, advanced towards goal and slotted low past Wickens from 13 yards.

Blood Destiny came back in trip to some effect to claim the Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan.

Beaten by Spillane’s Tower in January when taking a keen hold in front, he moved nicely this time in second for Paul Townend, going strongly after three out before leading two from home and winging the last on the way to an impressive victory, with his Punchestown conqueror six and a half lengths in arrears on this occasion.

“New tactics, I thought that might be a help after Punchestown,” Willie Mullins said of his 8-11 favourite.

“Paul was very taken with him there. He’s brilliant to jump, that was always his feature, but we were making too much use of his jumping instead of just using it when we needed it.

“Coming back in trip might have been a help as well.”

Despite being trimmed for his Cheltenham Festival entries (Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chase), Mullins has other plans.

He added: “I don’t know whether we’ve made a mistake now leaving him at home for Cheltenham but at least he has one nice prize in the bag.

“I’d imagine he’ll probably go for the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse. That was the plan, here and then on to that.

“I know it’s two and a half, but that two and a half will be all right for him as well.”

Ash Tree Meadow was a 7-2 winner of the BoyleSports Webster Cup for Gordon Elliott and Sam Ewing.

Turning out just six days after finishing fourth in the Newlands Chase at Naas behind the brilliant but injury-plagued Ferny Hollow, the eight-year-old made every yard of the running on his way to a three-and-a-quarter length victory over Lucid Dreams.

The long-absent 4-6 favourite Journey With Me was a further half a length away in third place.

“It wasn’t really the plan to run him but when the race looked like it would cut up we decided we’d declare him and then make our mind up what to do. It worked out great,” Elliott said.

“He’s a good horse, Sam said he hated that ground and he’ll be better on better ground.

“There is a race in Fairyhouse and a race in Aintree for him. ”

Elliott and Ewing were completing a double on the card following the earlier victory of 4-6 favourite Instant Tendance in the BoyleSports Money Back 2nd To The Favourite Mares Maiden Hurdle.

“We had four or five seconds last weekend but no winner. I’d be anxious myself, we haven’t much between now and Cheltenham but it’s happy days (today),” Elliott added.

Zian Flemming’s early free-kick was enough for Millwall to defeat Watford 1-0 at The Den and make it two wins from two since manager Neil Harris’ return to the club.

With several of their fellow strugglers also picking up results, coming away with maximum points was imperative for the Lions as it keeps them one point clear of the Championship relegation zone.

Watford are six points clear of trouble, but after their fifth defeat in six games their form is leaving them in danger of being dragged into the increasingly congested battle against the drop.

Millwall were ahead after just three minutes when Flemming’s deflected free-kick from over 25 yards out found the bottom corner, with Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer getting hands to it but unable to keep it out.

The visitors had a quick chance to equalise when some sloppy marking from a throw-in led to Vakoun Bayo firing a shot into the side netting.

Hamer was having an uncomfortable afternoon and almost cost the Hornets for a second time when he allowed a long ball to drift past him, but he was bailed out by Duncan Watmore’s effort from an acute angle striking the post.

Matija Sarkic was tested for the first time at the other end when the Montenegro international got down to keep hold of Yaser Asprilla’s shot.

Captain Wesley Hoedt then bent a free-kick just over for Watford, who remained behind at the break after an error-strewn first-half performance.

Needlessly giving passes away was something that also afflicted Millwall in the opening stages of the second half, leading to what was an untidy period in the game.

The Hornets forged a half-chance in the 57th minute when Jamal Lewis drove a low ball from the left that Bayo could not direct on target after attacking the near post.

Both attacks were feeding off scraps, with Millwall’s Michael Obafemi forced to improvise from a Ryan Leonard long throw as he sent an overhead kick over the bar.

Ismael Kone was brought on by Hornets boss Valerien Ismael alongside Ryan Andrews, and the former sent a long-range effort over with 15 minutes left, with his side still searching for some fluency in attack.

They were at least pushing Millwall further back, although Jake Livermore’s effort from outside the box was easily dealt with by Sarkic.

That was as close as Watford came to forcing an equaliser, despite their late pressure, as the hosts picked up three more vital points.

Kwame Poku kept Peterborough in the promotion picture with a second-half winner in a 2-1 triumph against Exeter.

Poku struck the decisive blow with a fine 68th-minute finish from just inside the box for his 10th goal of the campaign.

The winner saw boss Darren Ferguson’s tactical tweaks pay dividends after Poku had been shifted into a central position earlier in the second half.

Posh had previously hit the front in just the fourth minute when Ephron Mason-Clark pounced for his 17th goal of the season after Malik Mothersille’s strike was parried by Viljami Sinisalo.

But League One’s lowest scorers City clawed their way level nine minutes before the break when Tom Carroll struck for the first time in almost seven years.

The midfield man – whose last goal came for Swansea in an April 2017 Premier League clash against Stoke – was a fortunate scorer with a 20-yard half-volley which took a huge deflection off Jadel Katongo and looped agonisingly over keeper Jed Steer.

Vincent Harper then squandered an excellent chance to put Exeter ahead early in the second period before Posh took control and Poku earned the points – but not before ex-Posh man Mo Eisa and debutant Millenic Alli went close for City in nine minutes of stoppage time..

Promotion-chasing Stevenage were held to a goalless draw at Lincoln.

Michael Skubala’s hosts stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games as they stopped Steve Evans’ side from going five points clear in the play-off race.

The draw ended a three-game winning streak for Lincoln, who have impressively kept four clean sheets on the spin, not conceding in 378 minutes of football.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans was booked for remonstrating with the officials in the first half.

The two sides cancelled each other out in a scrappy opening period, with Joe Taylor blasting over from Reeco Hackett-Fairchild’s cross for the hosts the best chance of the half.

The visitors were relieved when Carl Piergianni blocked Paudie O’Connor’s header at the far post.

Jamie Reid could only nod straight at Lincoln goalkeeper Lukas Jensen when he should have done better before Evans made a quadruple substitution in a bid to snatch the points.

Freddie Draper nodded over late on for City as neither side were able to find a breakthrough.

Tottenham returned to winning ways with a 3-1 home victory over Crystal Palace after a dazzling spell of three goals in 11 second-half minutes.

Ange Postecoglou’s team were heading for a second straight defeat when fit-again Eberechi Eze curled home for Oliver Glasner’s side with 59 minutes on the clock.

Substitute Brennan Johnson helped turn the match back in Spurs’ favour, though, with a brilliant assist for Timo Werner’s 77th-minute equaliser before Cristian Romero headed in a second soon after.

Captain Son Heung-min wrapped up the scoring two minutes from time after Johnson had sent him away to earn the hosts’ a much-needed win in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Spurs had two weeks to prepare for this fixture but were up against a Palace side buoyed by the arrival of new boss Glasner, who won his first game in charge at home to Burnley last weekend.

It was the visitors who made the brighter start with Jordan Ayew blazing over before Jean-Philippe Mateta had a shot blocked by Emerson Royal.

Slowly Postecoglou’s side started to click with Son almost put through before he turned creator for what should have produced the opener.

Rodrigo Bentancur won back possession and Son sent Werner clear but he tried to round Sam Johnstone, who stood up well and thwarted the attacker in the 19th minute.

Play was back down the other end soon after when Jefferson Lerma’s shot deflected into the path of Daniel Munoz but Guglielmo Vicario bravely dived in to deny the Palace wing-back.

Vicario made a superb save from Ayew with half an hour played only for the offside flag to be raised as the first rumblings of discontent occurred from the home crowd.

Spurs ended the first half with 82 per cent possession but had produced one shot on target against an organised Palace side in a 3-4-3 under their new boss.

Tottenham’s tempo after the break was much-improved with Werner firing an effort across goal before he wanted a penalty with 53 minutes played.

Werner raced into the area and was caught by Daniel Munoz but referee John Brooks awarded a corner and VAR decided not to intervene.

The attacks kept coming with Son firing a first-time effort against the post from Dejan Kulusevski’s pass before Eze was afforded a rare moment of space and won Palace a free-kick in a dangerous position.

Bentancur was booked for the cynical foul but worse was to follow for Spurs as Eze whipped the free-kick around the wall and beyond Vicario for a superb seventh goal of the campaign.

Postecoglou instantly turned to his bench with Johnson brought on and he side-footed a good chance over straight after his introduction.

Son was next to go close with a scuffed effort wide before Tottenham did find the breakthrough thanks to Johnson’s tenacity.

Johnson first won back possession from Joachim Andersen and then got the better of Lerma before he teed up Werner at the back post to level in the 77th minute.

It was Werner’s first goal in English football since April 2022 but Spurs very quickly made it 2-1.

James Maddison sent a floated cross into the area, which was headed home by Romero, before Son wrapped up the scoring with a fine finish into the bottom corner for his 13th goal of the season.

Stoke secured a vital victory in their fight for survival as they defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 but remain in the Championship relegation zone.

A Bae Jun-ho strike before the interval – his second goal in as many games – set the Potters on their way.

And Lewis Baker added the finishing touch to a well-worked corner routine to secure a rare home win.

With the mounting threat of a first relegation to the third tier since 1998, Stoke rose to the occasion to secure just a second win in eight games and relieve pressure on boss Steven Schumacher.

Meanwhile, Boro fell to a fourth defeat in five games.

Stoke, who entered the match in the relegation zone for the first time this season, were given a “call to arms” by Jonathan Walters pre-match.

But the interim technical director’s rallying cry was nearly undone as Middlesbrough raced out of the gates.

Boro should have taken the lead inside three minutes when Riley McGree was found in the box but goalkeeper Daniel Iversen did well to race out and smother the forward.

Despite the early warning sign, the Potters gradually found their rhythm and they also spurned a glorious opportunity to snatch an early advantage.

An intricate Stoke attack ended with Jun-ho teeing up the onrushing Million Manhoef but the January recruit from Vitesse could only blaze over the target.

An end-to-end Basketball-style first half unfolded and again Michael Carrick was left ruing a sequence of missed chances.

Emmanuel Latte Lath – making his first start since December due to injury – rounded Iversen and had an open goal at his mercy but Michael Rose blocked on the line.

The Potters looked to capitalise before the interval with Seny Dieng called to action to deny Niall Ennis’ nodded header.

And the hosts’ persistence was rewarded prior to the break with an opener courtesy of the in-form Jun-ho.

The South Korean youngster shrugged off the challenge of Luke Ayling, advanced powerfully and fired a low effort beyond Dieng to rouse a vocal home support.

Stoke continued to dictate terms after the restart.

And they should have doubled their advantage when Daniel Barlaser was caught sleeping inside his own area.

A lively Baker pickpocketed the Boro midfielder and teed up Josh Laurent in the six-yard box but Dieng stood strong to keep the tie within reach.

However, the former made amends for his indecision when he eased the local faithful’s nerves with the Potters’ second inside 70 minutes.

A corner routine off the training ground ended with a drilled Baker shot deflecting off Matt Clarke beyond a wrongfooted Dieng, confirming a crucial Stoke win.

West Ham scored twice in stoppage time to come from behind at Goodison Park as a mixed afternoon for Everton striker Beto ended in a 3-1 defeat.

The Portuguese forward’s redemptive goal after missing the Toffees’ first penalty of the season had put his side ahead but his joy was short-lived.

Kurt Zouma equalised within six minutes and then Tomas Soucek, with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot strike in the 91st minute was followed by Edson Alvarez’s breakaway as Everton’s winless run was extended to 10 matches.

Relegation rivals Cheltenham and Burton played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium.

Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested throughout and the result keeps Burton five points clear of their opponents and the League One drop zone, while the Robins are four points from safety.

Cheltenham enjoyed most of the possession during the first half, but they could not muster a shot on target.

Burton’s Ademola Ola-Adebomi saw an effort comfortably saved by Luke Southwood in the 13th minute, but defences were very much on top, with several important blocks in both boxes.

Cheltenham felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 28th minute when George Lloyd went down under a challenge from Steve Seddon, but referee Thomas Parsons waved away their appeals.

Tom Hamer made an excellent challenge on the line to deny home striker Matty Taylor in the 32nd minute before Seddon fired high over the bar before the break.

Ola-Adebomi also saw an effort fly over in the 58th minute before Cheltenham threatened late on when Josh Harrop’s cross was met by Taylor, but it was blocked in the box.

Tom Bradbury cleared off the line from Albion substitute Joe Hugill in stoppage time as both teams had to settle for a point.

Rodrigo Muniz was on the scoresheet again as Fulham claimed an impressive 3-0 win over Brighton at Craven Cottage.

The Brazilian forward claimed his fifth Premier League goal in his last five matches after Harry Wilson’s long-range effort put the Cottagers’ ahead.

Adama Traore came off the bench to score in second half added time.

Fulham registered their first back-to-back league wins since December after their 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The hosts kept the momentum from last week’s victory and started the better of the two teams.

After Harrison Reed’s bursting run forced a yellow card from Carlos Baleba, the stand-in skipper tested Jason Steele from inside the area, getting on the end of a free-kick.

Fulham’s early pressure was rewarded in the 21st minute when they took the lead. The inform Muniz hustled Lewis Dunk in the air, knocking the ball down into the path of Wilson who curled his effort into the top left-hand corner.

Brighton searched for a way back into the game and missed two quickfire chances to equalise.

After Adam Lallana’s long-range strike whistled past Bernd Leno’s post, Julio Enciso showed intricate skill to beat his marker before the Seagulls midfielder’s shot failed to hit the target.

The Cottagers on the other hand did not have to be asked twice in front of goal as they scored again to double their lead.

Wilson, who had been untouchable up to this point, repaid Muniz’s earlier favour, curling the ball onto the head of his team-mate who nodded home to continue his stunning scoring form.

Fulham continued to impress in the second half through the electric partnership of Wilson and Muniz.

Wilson initially dragged his one-on-one wide of Steele’s left-hand post but was given another opportunity to score.

Muniz showed strength to hold off the defender, drove into the box and found Wilson who was dispossessed by Dunk’s last-ditch effort to keep the score at 2-0.

Evan Ferguson had a golden chance to score from inside the six-yard box but the forward poked his effort wide in a move which summed up the visitors’ lacklustre display.

Fulham allowed Roberto De Zerbi’s men possession as they began to shut up shop. Pervis Estupinan was unleashed down the left, whipping a dangerous ball to the rising Baleba whose header ballooned over the bar before he was substituted minutes later.

Traore was played through and buried his effort to give Fulham a third during four added minutes.

Nicky Henderson was back among the winners on Saturday to give him something to smile about as he awaits the Cheltenham Festival fate of Constitution Hill.

The champion hurdler scoped badly in the immediate aftermath of his disappointing Kempton workout on Tuesday, while blood test results received on Thursday gave connections even more cause for concern.

A further scope conducted on Friday appeared more encouraging, but Henderson revealed a second blood test to be taken on Monday would be the “acid test”.

He said: “The blood test on Monday will tell us everything and we will know where we are after that.

“If we don’t get the results we want on Monday I wouldn’t go as far as to say it will be the end of the season. Let’s just cross each bridge when we come across it.

“When you train horses you are going to walk into these situations and you’ve got to face up to it.

“It had all been too easy. Everybody thinks it is ‘ABC’ and it has been with him, except he can’t tell you when he’s wrong because he so laid-back about life.

“He’s the slowest walker, the slowest trotter and you have to drag him out of bed on a morning. With most horses you can tell, but with him you can’t as he can’t talk to you, most horses can.”

Spring Note won at Newbury for the Seven Barrows handler, while the Grade One-winning Jango Baie finished second in front of Henderson at Kelso, after which he said: “That’s the second time he’s had to run in a really good race with a 5lb penalty, it stops them. But if you win a Grade One you can’t have your cake and eat it.

“He’s a good horse. He wants to go up in trip, there’s no doubt about that, two-mile-two is tight for him. You could go two and a half but he won over two miles at Aintree, mainly because he stays.

“Over fences he’ll be going three, I’d imagine, and he’ll be very good. This time next year hopefully we’ll be talking about Cheltenham with him.

“Of course it’s nice to see one run well, I’m conscious of what’s happening, but it’s not a lot of pleasure, I can tell you that.

“To be fair the ground in our neck of the woods is so bad, and our horses always want better ground.”

Eddie Howe managed to get a tune out of his team with rock star Mark Knopfler watching as clinical Newcastle ended Wolves’ three-game winning run.

Knopfler was at St James’ Park to unveil a charity recording of the theme from Local Hero, the song to which the Magpies run out, and witnessed a 3-0 home victory – a first in the Premier League since December 16 – courtesy of Alexander Isak’s 15th goal of the season, Anthony Gordon’s 10th and substitute Tino Livramento’s first for the club.

Head coach Howe, who had spoken of his own musical ability – or more accurately, lack of it – in the run-up to the game, came up with the perfect game-plan, sucking Wolves in by allowing them possession and then hitting them on the break in devastating fashion.

The visitors rallied late in the game, but were unable to find a way past keeper Martin Dubravka in front of a crowd of 52,206 at a wintry St James’.

Pedro Neto made an early impression as the visitors attempted to capitalise on the Magpies’ recent defensive issues, and it took a well-time challenge by Fabian Schar to halt his enterprising third-minute run into the penalty area.

As torrential rain fell from slate grey skies over Tyneside, Newcastle gradually eased into their stride, and it was they who took the lead with 14 minutes gone after Schar had picked off Rayan Ait-Nouri’s pass into the box and fed Gordon.

The frontman sprinted away down the left before finding Bruno Guimaraes, whose shot deflected off defender Craig Dawson and looped up for Isak to head home at the far post.

Dan Burn might have made it 2-0 within five minutes after linking with Gordon, but he dragged his attempt harmlessly across the face of goal.

Toti headed over after Dawson had helped Pablo Sarabia’s corner back into the danger area and with Neto menacing, the visitors were very much in the game despite repeatedly finding themselves under the cosh.

However, they fell further behind 12 minutes before the break when Schar played the ball into the feet of Joe Willock, who fed Jacob Murphy to send in a low cross which keeper Jose Sa could only palm away from Isak as he collided with team-mate Max Kilman, and Gordon supplied the finishing touch.

Wolves continued to enjoy a healthy share of the possession, but were unable to do enough with it to force their way back into the game before the break.

O’Neil replaced Sa and Neto with Daniel Bentley and Nathan Fraser before the restart and Howe saw Kieran Trippier limp off within seven minutes as Livramento stepped into the breach.

It took a superb goal-line clearance by Toti to keep out Willock’s 56th-minute diving header from Burn’s cross, but Martin Dubravka was relieved to see Jeanricner Bellegarde’s attempt loop over his bar.

Dubravka found himself at the centre of the action as he dived full-length to keep out Fraser’s skidding drive and then blocked Sarabia’s shot at the far post before plucking Bellegarde’s header out of the air.

Bentley saved at substitute Miguel Almiron’s feet after Guimaraes had turned superbly and clipped the ball into his path, but it was Livramento who sealed the win in stoppage time with a fine solo run and stabbed finish from Schar’s cultured pass.

Josh Sargent scored for the seventh successive home game as Norwich maintained their Championship play-off challenge with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Sunderland.

The USA international struck in the 81st minute as the Canaries finally found a way past a stubborn visiting defence to make it five victories on the trot at Carrow Road.

While Norwich can look forward to an exciting end the campaign, it looks like being a different story for the visitors, with a fourth consecutive defeat leaving them nine points adrift of the top six.

After a cagey start Norwich went close to taking the lead on 15 minutes when Sargent’s first-time drive was deflected just wide by Jenson Seelt.

It then took a superb finger-tip save from Anthony Patterson to thwart Borja Sainz after the Spaniard had latched on to a loose ball when a corner was only half cleared.

These were rare moments of alarm for Sunderland, however, with both sides tending to cancel each other out in a tight opening period.

Pierre Ekwah had two long-range efforts for the visitors, one comfortably saved and the other sailing well wide, and those proved to be their only shots of the half.

Norwich started the second period on the front foot, with Jack Stacey’s right-wing cross almost catching Patterson out and coming back off the crossbar.

The keeper then pushed away a Gabriel Sara shot which was heading for the bottom corner before making a good stop to keep out a fizzing low effort from Sainz.

Substitute Abdoullah Ba cut into the box and struck the woodwork from a tight angle in a rare Sunderland raid but it was the hosts who deservedly broke the deadlock with nine minutes left.

The visitors failed to deal with Ben Gibson’s cross from the right and Sargent won the battle for the ball before lashing it home from close range.

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