Norwich were frustrated by a determined rearguard action from Preston as a hard-fought Championship encounter at Carrow Road ended goalless.

The visitors, who were on a run of three successive defeats, showed plenty of spirit against a Norwich side who had won three of their previous four games and just about deserved their share of the spoils.

For all their possession Norwich only threatened sporadically, with their best chance arriving in the closing stages when substitute Liam Gibbs missed the target with a clear sight of goal.

Preston hit the crossbar through Ben Whiteman but it was their defensive work that caught the eye on a miserable afternoon.

Norwich dominated a low-key first half in which Preston failed to register a single effort, on or off target.

The visitors were on their game defensively, however, and a low skidder from Marcelino Nunez which fizzed just wide was the only moment of excitement in the opener quarter.

The Canaries went even closer after 27 minutes when Onel Hernandez broke free on the left before bringing a comfortable save out of Freddie Woodman, with Jack Whatmough on hand to clear up the loose ends.

There was another scare for Preston on the half-hour mark, with Christian Fassnacht popping up at the back post and getting in a shot on goal after his initial header had been blocked but Liam Lindsay got in a vital block to keep the scoreline blank.

It was a similarly one-sided story after the interval, with dominant Norwich still struggling to create clear-cut openings.

Preston almost made them pay on 55 minutes when Brad Potts’ glancing header from Alan Browne’s free-kick was only just wide.

Norwich substitute Jon Rowe threatened at the other end with a volley which was well blocked but it was Preston who nearly opened the scoring just past the hour mark, Whiteman’s first-time drive coming back off the crossbar after Angus Gunn had flapped at a high ball.

With the game approaching its final 10 minutes, Norwich wasted a glorious chance to edge ahead when Gabriel Sara picked out an unmarked Gibbs in the box, only for the substitute to guide the ball wastefully wide.

In a grandstand finish, Shane Duffy’s powerful header from a corner was blocked on the line by a defender and Whatmough almost forced the ball home at the other end but it ended goalless.

Norwich manager David Wagner confessed to momentarily losing his head in the aftermath of Adam Idah’s winner deep into stoppage time at Bristol City.

The under-pressure Canaries boss raced down the touchline to join in a pile-up of jubilant players after substitute Idah had burst onto a long ball forward to outpace defender Zak Vyner and shoot low past Max O’Leary.

It had looked like being another tough day for Norwich when Jason Knight fired Bristol City in front in the 34th minute after goalkeeper Angus Gunn had parried a low cross into his path.

But the game turned 13 minutes after the break when an intended cross from the left by Dimitris Giannoulis deflected off defender George Tanner to wrong-foot O’Leary and beat him at his near post.

Asked what was going through his mind when Idah netted five minutes into stoppage time, Wagner said: “If anything had been in my head at that moment, I wouldn’t have done it.

“It’s not all about me and it’s my job to keep everyone calm and focussed. But it was a big moment for the team and backed up what I have been saying about the players.

“We have some strong characters in the dressing room and today the spirit was evident in coming from behind to win against a good team.

“Bristol City have had some impressive results recently and we knew it would be a tough game.

“But I felt we started both halves well and after we fell behind the players showed their commitment, as they have been doing since our difficult start to the season.

“Our away fans, in particular, have stood behind us and it’s great to have sent them on their long journey home with smiles on their faces.”

Bristol City striker Tommy Conway squandered two good chances to increase their lead at the end of the first half and head coach Liam Manning was frustrated by the result.

He said: “I’m scratching my head over how we lost. It’s a tough one to take because the least we should have taken with a point.

“We started both halves poorly, but other than that we controlled the game. We have to turn that control into more chances.

“It had been a good week for me learning more about the players. They are an honest group, but we need to be tougher in more ways than one.

“Norwich didn’t have to do much to score their goals, which is disappointing.

“It’s still early days in getting my ideas across. I liked a lot of what I saw today, but we are only talking about a matter of weeks and we will get better.”

Substitute Adam Idah scored a stoppage-time winner as Norwich came from behind to earn a 2-1 Championship victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Jason Knight fired the home side ahead in the 34th minute with a crisp finish from 12 yards after Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn had parried a low George Tanner cross into his path.

But the visitors drew level 13 minutes after the break when an intended cross from the left by Dimitris Giannoulis deflected off defender Tanner to wrong-foot Max O’Leary and beat him at his near post.

The match was deep into five minutes of injury time when Idah outpaced Zak Vyner onto a long ball forward and held off the centre-back before firing low into the bottom corner.

Bristol City had wasted good opportunities to extend their lead at 1-0 and could have no complaints, having failed to create significant openings in the second half.

Norwich started the game brightly and forced three early corners, but the first 20 minutes were largely forgettable.

The game sprang to life when Robins midfielder Taylor Gardner-Hickman brought a diving save from Gunn with a sweetly-struck drive from outside the box.

Suddenly both sides created openings. Ashley Barnes fired over for Norwich with a volley and seconds later team-mate Onel Hernandez hit a post with a first-time shot from Jonathan Rowe’s cross.

Mark Sykes shot narrowly wide for the hosts before Knight’s precise finish broke the deadlock.

Tommy Conway then had two good chances to extend the lead, but shot tamely at Gunn and then was denied by a brave save from the Norwich keeper as he broke clear onto a Sykes pass.

Knight saw a header from a right-wing corner tipped over by Gunn as the home side finished the first half strongly.

Norwich regrouped at the interval and began well again, Barnes and Marcelino Nunez testing O’Leary before the visitors drew level just before the hour.

The equaliser was fortunate, but merited, as Tanner’s deflection took Giannoulis’ ball into the area past O’Leary.

Tanner’s afternoon went from bad to worse when he was cautioned for a foul on Giannoulis that saw the Norwich player hobble off and be substituted.

Bristol City were looking well-drilled under new head coach Liam Manning and passed the ball neatly to spread the play without being able to carve out the chances they created in the first half.

Knight sent a half-volley from the edge of the box high over the crossbar as the game entered the final 10 minutes.

Norwich defended their box strongly and threatened on the break, but also lacked the final pass to add to their goal tally until Idah’s dramatic late strike.

David Wagner’s players celebrated in front of their travelling fans at the final whistle, having shown good spirit to claim the three points.

Boss David Wagner said Norwich fans had “every reason” to call for his sacking after Watford came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Vicarage Road.

Goals from Danny Batth and Hwang Ui-jo put the Canaries in control with just 12 minutes on the clock but Watford levelled thanks to two goals in three minutes after the half-hour mark from Ismael Kone and Mileta Rajovic.

Yasir Asprilla completed the comeback in the 77th minute with a deftly-taken goal that may have been ruled out for offside had VAR been in operation.

Many Norwich fans had lost their patience with Wagner before that, however, booing the substitution of Adam Idah, and some stayed on after the final whistle to call for his sacking.

“They have every reason – we are not happy as well,” said the German, who was appointed in January. “I understand the frustration. It is the unfortunate nature of the game.

“The supporters show their feelings, which is fine. If we had won it, it would be different.

“I am focused on the work. I have the main responsibility, I have always said this, but also it is the players who win the games.”

Canaries fans had called for Wagner’s sacking at the start of the month, when Blackburn won 3-1 at Carrow Road.

Wins over Cardiff and QPR bought Wagner time but a new sporting director has now arrived in ex-Arsenal loans manager Ben Knapper.

“I don’t feel I am on trial,” Wagner added. “I worked my socks off with my team to win this game but it didn’t happen. We have to reset ourselves and go again on Sunday.”

Watford manager Valerien Ismael was delighted with the way his team recovered from a dreadful start to bank three points that were totally deserved.

“I said afterwards to the guys ‘thank you’,” he said. “I am really proud of the boys. They stayed calm and the most important thing was to stick to the game plan as the game had not started for us.

“At half-time I told the boys to make sure we finished the job. It was hectic at the end but we deserved to win.

“The more difficult it was the more the players stuck together. It was a great win because of the way we managed the situation.”

Asprilla, the 20-year-old Colombia forward, showed great composure with the winning goal.

Norwich goalkeeper George Long parried a long-range effort from Wesley Hoedt and Asprilla latched on to the rebound, deftly rounded Long and slotted home a shot that crossed the line before Dimi Giannoulis could block.

It was Asprilla’s third goal of the season and Ismael is expecting more to follow.

“He is starting to get this breakthrough now,” he said. “We need to give him the confidence he needs and to support him. He can be a key player for us in the future.

“I am really pleased his goal decided the game. He has all the capability to score when he decides. He has everything to score a goal and is unpredictable.”

Yaser Asprilla’s goal saw Watford come back from 2-0 down to beat Norwich 3-2 in an entertaining contest at Vicarage Road.

Danny Batth headed home his first Canaries goal before Hwang Ui-jo doubled the lead with a long-range strike.

Watford levelled thanks to two goals in three minutes after the half-hour mark from Ismael Kone and Mileta Rajovic.

Colombia forward Asprilla completed the comeback in the 77th minute with a strike the Canaries insisted should not have stood.

It took Norwich three minutes to take the lead from a corner to the back post from Gabriel Sara.

Batth outjumped a team-mate to head past Hornets goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who will not have been impressed by his static defenders.

Hwang doubled the lead nine minutes later with a cracking finish but again Watford were found wanting at the back.

Ryan Porteous gifted possession to Sara, who set the South Korean up for a 25-yard drive that went over Hamer and dipped under the bar.

It was to be the striker’s one and only contribution, however, as he was replaced five minutes later by Ashley Barnes due to injury.

Earlier in the day, Hwang – who had scored the winner against QPR on Saturday – had been dropped from the national team until a police investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct was concluded.

Hamer, in for suspended first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann, soon had to tip over a header from Shane Duffy as Norwich threatened again.

Watford almost pulled a goal back when George Long fumbled a long-ranger from ex-Canary Jamal Lewis. Kone latched on to the loose ball but the keeper recovered to make a vital block.

Kone made no mistake in the 30th minute, however, with a run and drive from the edge of the box into the far corner for his first Watford goal – and the hosts were level three minutes later.

Lewis made his way into the box on the left and floated over an inviting cross for Rajovic to head home from close range to register his fourth goal in five games.

Hamer did well to deny Adam Idah before Long had to tip over a goal-bound Asprilla drive in the half’s final attack.

Long did well to stop Ryan Andrews’ deflected cross loop over him in the 53rd minute as Watford carried on where they had left off.

Kone then saw a rocket of a shot smash back off the crossbar from a similar position to his earlier goal, with Long smothering a follow up from Edo Kayembe.

Norwich’s resistance ended in the 77th minute when Asprilla showed great skill to take the ball round Long before unleashing a shot that crossed the line before Dimi Giannoulis could block.

Norwich argued that a number of Watford players had been offside when Long parried Wes Hoedt’s shot into Asprilla’s path but referee Simon Hooper awarded the goal.

Hamer denied Norwich substitute Borja Sainz a late equaliser with another impressive tip over.

Norwich head coach David Wagner was delighted with his side’s hard-fought 1-0 win over QPR – despite admitting it had been a below-par attacking performance from his side.

The Canaries made it back-to-back wins in the Championship after a poor run that had seen Wagner’s position called into question, with Hwang Ui-jo’s 21st-minute goal settling a scrappy encounter.

That proved to be the hosts’ only effort on target but the boss wasn’t complaining afterwards.

“I think a 1-0 win like that is perhaps the best sort of win for me in the circumstances,” said Wagner.

“Everyone knows we can score goals – the stats tell you that – but we have been conceding too many goals and to keep a clean sheet was very pleasing.

“We were very organised defensively, kept them as far away from our goal as possible, and didn’t give them many chances.

“The guys out there all did their job because as a team we need to be more solid than we have been.

“Was it our most entertaining game offensively? No, but you can’t always score two or three goals to win a game and that is back-to-back wins now, which feels good, certainly much better than it did a few weeks ago.”

Wagner was full of praise for Hwang, who has been the subject of allegations regarding his personal life in his home country.

“It hasn’t been easy for him but his head is with us and he proved what a good footballer he is,” said Wagner.

“He has great technique, good work ethic and he understands the game well. He took his goal really well and gave us 70 minutes or so, which is more than I expected after his international duty.”

A scrappy game with a scarcity of goalmouth action at either end was settled by a well-taken goal from South Korean striker Hwang, who is on loan at Carrow Road from Nottingham Forest.

A pass through the middle from Gabriel Sara caught the visiting defence napping and Hwang was able to run through unopposed before beating Asmir Begovic with a powerful low shot into the bottom corner.

That was just about the only clear-cut opportunity Norwich created all afternoon while it was a similar story for the visitors, with a stoppage-time strike from Sam Field that flew narrowly wide perhaps their best moment.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes felt his side had competed well but admitted they needed to improve in and around the opposition box.

“In the three games since I took over we have competed well and certainly haven’t been worse than any of our opponents,” he said when reflecting on start of two draws and a defeat.

“I have seen some good things in all our performances – and I have seen improvements again today.

“We were well organised and played the ball around well at times but the most important thing here is the result and I am obviously not happy with that.

“What we need is more sharpness in the final third, in and around the box. We need to be able to penetrate and score goals, otherwise all the other good things don’t count for anything.

“What I have seen here so far both during games and on the training pitch is a group of players who are committed to the cause and are working hard to turn things around – now we need to get the results to go with that.”

Norwich put their home woes behind them with a hard-fought 1-0 win over QPR in a scrappy Championship encounter.

The Canaries had lost their three previous matches at Carrow Road to heap the pressure on head coach David Wagner but got the three points this time around thanks to a well-taken 21st-minute goal from on-loan striker Hwang Ui-jo.

It was a lacklustre showing from the hosts but this was all about the result which followed a 3-2 win in their previous game at Cardiff and lifted them to the fringes of the play-off picture.

For Rangers, it was a first defeat under new boss Marti Cifuentes after a couple of draws but they competed well in an instantly forgettable game and would have had some reward for their efforts had their finishing matched their often attractive approach play.

It was Rangers who made the better start, enjoying plenty of possession, but they couldn’t make it count and it was the hosts who got their noses in front midway through the fast half.

A simple ball through the centre from Gabriel Sara caught the visiting defence napping and Hwang was left free to advance on goal before burying an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner.

Aside from a back-post effort from Jack Stacey that was headed clear from underneath his own bar by Steve Cook, it proved to be Norwich’s only on target effort of the opening period – but fortunately for Wagner’s men their opponents lacked the punch to go with their neat approach work.

Lyndon Dykes nodded a corner from Kenneth Paal just wide and a well-struck effort from Osman Kakay was comfortably gathered by George Long but they were rare moments of alarm for the Canaries.

Paal tested Long with a powerful low shot and Ilias Chair fired just over from distance as Rangers again came out of the blocks quickly after the break.

Norwich were still looking reasonably comfortable, however, although efforts on goal were still at a premium in what was becoming an increasingly scrappy encounter.

Chair had an curling shot deflected just wide after cutting in from the left and Sam Field directed an effort just wide from a good position in stoppage time but the home side saw the game out.

Under-pressure manager David Wagner felt Norwich’s 3-2 comeback win at Cardiff proved he has the full support of his dressing room.

The Canaries went into the contest in the Welsh capital having collected just one point from their previous six Championship outings.

But Ryan Wintle’s own goal and Adam Idah’s strike, Christian Fassnacht having netted in the first half, earned Norwich a dramatic victory after Josh Bowler and Callum Robinson had put the hosts in front.

“I think it’s a deserved win,” said Wagner. “We have some problems but how the players took it on board and reacted was just great to see.

“It was anything but a surprise for me. I love these players. I know we don’t have a problem in the dressing room, there’s a good togetherness.

“It shows how tight the dressing room is. They were desperate to turn it around and have this winning feeling back.

“We were on a negative run for quite a while, this is never enjoyable.

“But if you still feel the dressing room and everyone else at the club is behind you, you can stand in front of everyone and show the confidence everyone needs from a leader.

“Now hopefully with some players back after the international break, hopefully this is our turning point to continue to at least perform like we did today.”

Following what had been a fairly tame start to proceedings, Norwich stunned the home crowd as Fassnacht tapped home from Kenny McLean’s flick-on to put his side in front with his third goal of the campaign.

But Bowler and Robinson netted before half-time to ensure the Bluebirds led at the break.

Wintle deflected in Fassnacht’s cross eight minutes from time and substitute Idah coolly slotted home from close range just two minutes later as the Canaries won for only the second time in 11 matches in all competitions while bringing an end to Cardiff’s three-game unbeaten run in the process.

Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut was left furious with his side’s set-piece defending.

“You can lose the game but not how we lost it in the last 25 minutes. This makes me angry,” he said.

“We didn’t fight, we didn’t concentrate, we lost balls too quickly and we knew exactly what they would do. Some players were not concentrating enough.

“We trained for it (set-pieces). We showed the team how Norwich are doing their corner kicks, at the front post, and they scored the first goal from the front post.

“And at the far post we conceded. The second goal was the same. Two easy goals.”

He added: “Also, our substitution players didn’t really help us. In previous weeks that was different, they brought us points.

“That was also the key to how we lost the game 3-2.”

Norwich struck twice late on to come from behind and beat Cardiff 3-2 to ease the pressure on under-fire boss David Wagner.

The Canaries silenced the Cardiff City Stadium crowd as Christian Fassnacht poked home his third goal of the campaign in the 22nd minute.

Cardiff responded well and saw Josh Bowler equalise in the 39th minute before Callum Robinson headed them in front on 43 minutes.

But Ryan Wintle’s own goal made it 2-2 in the 82nd minute before Adam Idah slotted home two minutes later as Norwich ended their six-game winless run in dramatic fashion.

Defeat was Cardiff’s first on home soil since early August and brought an end to their three-match unbeaten sequence.

Robinson and Norwich’s Gabriel Sara had decent efforts early on in what was a fairly uneventful opening period, although the excitement levels improved as the first half progressed.

Norwich tested Jak Alnwick for the first time after a slick move that led to Hwang Ui-jo teeing up Sara whose drilled effort was palmed away by the Cardiff goalkeeper.

But Alnwick was helpless from the resulting corner as Kenny McLean’s headed flick-on found Fassnacht unmarked at the back post to tap home.

Cardiff swiftly set about searching for a leveller and boss Erol Bulut was left incensed before the half-hour mark after referee Rebecca Welch failed to award his side a penalty after Bowler went down under a challenge from Przemyslaw Placheta.

Moments after Bowler drilled at Norwich goalkeeper George Long from an acute angle, Poland international Placheta crossed to Hwang, although the South Korean was unable to adjust in time as the ball struck his leg before flying wide.

Cardiff continued to probe at the other end, with captain Joe Ralls firing just wide from the edge of the box.

But the Bluebirds equalised six minutes before the break as Robinson fended off two defenders before crossing to Bowler, who lashed home his second goal of the campaign.

They went in front just four minutes later as Karlan Grant teed up Collins whose lofted cross was inch-perfect for Robinson to nod beyond Long from close range.

Mark McGuinness threw himself in front of Fassnacht’s strike shortly after the restart before Grant was denied by Long at the other end after being played through on goal by Robinson.

Alnwick then had to be alert to keep out Jonathan Rowe’s low driven strike before palming away Danny Batth’s header as Norwich pushed for an equaliser.

They made it 2-2 as Fassnacht drilled across goal, with the ball deflecting off Wintle.

Then after Rowe’s placed shot was saved, Idah netted the winner six minutes from time to spark wild scenes of celebration in the away end and relieve the pressure on Wagner in the process.

Norwich head coach David Wagner vowed to battle on after seeing his side’s poor form continue with a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Blackburn.

The Canaries have now lost eight games out of 10 in all competitions, slipping to 17th in the Championship as a result after a bright start to the campaign.

“If I get the chance I will work to turn this around but I am not the right person to ask (about my future),” he said.

“I take responsibility, for sure, because I am the manager of this team, and today wasn’t good enough, I know that, and the longer this run goes on the more difficult it gets.

“But this squad proved what it’s capable of early in the season and as I said I am ready to work hard to put things right.”

Wagner, who confirmed he would not be resigning, added: “I thought we actually started quite well, winning the ball in dangerous positions, but after that our press wasn’t right and they punished us.

“At 3-0 we had a mountain to climb. I cannot fault the effort of the lads but we were not clinical enough, we didn’t take the good chances we created.”

Norwich were punished for a slow start as a slick Blackburn side scored twice in the first 15 minutes at Carrow Road.

A simple pass inside from Joe Rankin-Costello put Tyrhys Dolan in to run through and smash the ball high into the roof of the net and then Andrew Moran slid Sammie Szmodics in to make it two.

It was all too easy for Blackburn, with the home fans making their discontent clear, and four minutes after the restart it got even bleaker for the hosts as Szmodics got his second of the game.

Dolan did well to pick out an unmarked Moran on the right and his low cross was tapped in at the back post by Rovers’ top scorer, who got the benefit of a tight offside call.

The visitors were quickly reduced to 10 men when Scott Wharton saw red for a professional foul on Onel Hernandez, but Norwich had to wait until the second minute of injury time to pull one back from Gabriel Sara, who was in the right place to pounce on a loose ball in the area.

Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson was understandably pleased with his side’s comfortable win.

“I thought it was an excellent win and performance – we played at a very high level for long periods,” he said.

“Norwich are going through a difficult spell at the moment but they are still a good team with good players and it was important we got on the front foot immediately. We scored two good goals and had other good chances and it could easily have been 4-0 at half-time.

“We stuck to our principles, with plenty of one and two-touch football, and I thought we played some really good stuff at times.

“We scored another well-worked goal in the second half and then got the red card, which obviously affected the game.

“After that I thought we defended like lions to keep them out, showing great team spirit, which was another positive from our young team.

“We put in a good show at Chelsea and we have followed that up today with another good performance, which is very pleasing. We can now enjoy this and then prepare for the derby against Preston on Friday.”

Norwich’s slump continued as they fell to a painful 3-1 defeat at the hands of 10-man Blackburn at Carrow Road.

The Canaries have now lost eight times in 10 games in all competitions, slipping to 17th in the Championship, and there were calls for head coach David Wagner to go during another below-par showing.

Blackburn scored twice in the opening 15 minutes through Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics to take control, and a second from Szmodics early in the second half ended the game as a contest, even through Rovers’ Scott Wharton was sent off shortly afterwards.

Norwich got one back in injury time through Gabriel Sara, but it was no more than a consolation for the struggling hosts.

The Canaries were well off the pace in the early stages and were duly punished as the visitors scored two well-taken goals.

At times a slick Rovers side were able to play their way through a nervous looking City backline at will and it was no surprise when they took the lead after eight minutes with a goal of classic simplicity.

Joe Rankin-Costello found himself in some space on the right and slid the ball infield to Dolan who burst into the box before producing an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

It got worse for the hosts in the 15th minute when Rovers added a second. Their defence was again caught square as Andrew Moran put Szmodics in and the striker buried an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner to make it two.

There were chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ from the Norwich fans when that one went in, with head coach Wagner already under pressure after his side’s poor run of form.

The Canaries did improve as the half wore on, and Ui Jo Hwang and Marcelino Nunez both got decent efforts of target before Onel Hernandez fired just wide from the edge of the area after being fed by Jack Stacey.

But overall it was still a poor first-half showing, and the second started in similar fashion for the Canaries as they shipped another soft goal four minutes after the restart.

This time Dolan had all the time in the world to clip a ball out to an unmarked Moran on the right and crossed low for Szmodics to tap in at the far post, with the Rovers top scorer getting the benefit of a tight offside call.

Norwich desperately needed a boost at that point and got one a few minutes later when Wharton was red-carded after bringing down Hernandez as the Cuban raced through on goal, although the subsequent free-kick from Nunez was comfortably gathered by Leopold Wahlstedt.

Wagner made a quadruple substitution on the hour mark in an attempt to change the course of the game and one of them, Christian Fassnacht, brought an excellent reaction save out of the Rovers keeper with a powerful back-post header.

Norwich were now firmly on the front foot, with Nunez blasting just wide and Sara seeing a goal-bound shot well blocked and they finally reduced the arrears in the second minute of injury time.

Wahlstedt could only parry a low cross from Przemyslaw Placheta and it fell nicely for Sara to side-foot home from just outside the six-yard box.

Norwich boss David Wagner insists he can get the struggling Canaries back on track but admits he is unable to say whether he will be given time to turn his side’s fortunes around.

Norwich’s miserable Championship run continued with a 3-1 defeat at Sunderland, meaning Wagner’s side have now won just two of their last 10 games and tumbled to 17th in the table.

The Canaries took the lead at the Stadium of Light through Hwang Ui-jo but Trai Hume and Dan Neil put the home side ahead before the break, before Jack Clarke wrapped up the win for Sunderland in the second half from the spot with his ninth goal of the season.

The defeat means Norwich are now winless in five, and Wagner accepts such form will lead to questions about his future.

“I take responsibility and I have to find solutions to change it,” he said.

“The recent form is not where we want it to be and far away from where we can be and what we’ve shown. This is a big problem for us.”

Asked whether he thinks he will be given time to turn it around, he said: “I understand the question but it is not a question I can answer.”

He did, however, insist he has full belief that he remains the man for the job.

He said: “Yeah, obviously. These are situations you face as a manager which you don’t like but these are challenges that are part of a manager’s life.

“It’s up to me to get this sorted, but how much time or if I get the time, as I said it’s not a question (I can answer).”

To get back to winning ways, Wagner says his side – particularly his senior pros – need to cut out the individual mistakes.

He said: “I think we should not shy away from this. Everyone sees who does the mistakes and at the minute they are my senior pros.

“This hurts double and it costs because these are usually the players you can lean on and give the ball in certain situations, but at the minute it’s where the problem is as well. It’s a good dressing room, they stick together.”

Home boss Tony Mowbray was delighted to end a run of three straight defeats, with Sunderland climbing to seventh in the table.

He said: “I think it was the right result for the way the game went.

“It felt a little bit ‘here we go again’ when they scored, I don’t think they’d been in our half up until that point and yet we’re a goal behind.

“We showed great character to get in front before half-time, with some really good, positive front-foot play. It was important for us, I thought it was harsh on us to have lost three games – there were some okay performances in there.

“You have to take it on the chin when you lose and what was important for us was to keep the confidence up. We showed them a lot of clips of the Leicester game and the rewards of playing on the front foot.

“We did that well today, suffocated them for long spells and it wasn’t really until the last 15 that they asked questions of us, and then in that period we could have scored more goals on the break.”

Sunderland ended a run of three successive Championship defeats with a deserved 3-1 victory over Norwich, who are now winless in their last five games.

Hwang Ui-jo gave Norwich the lead against the run of play just after the midway stage of the first half, but Sunderland hit back with goals from Trai Hume and Dan Neil before the break and the league’s top scorer Jack Clarke secured the victory from the spot with his ninth goal of the season 10 minutes from time.

The victory lifted Sunderland to seventh in the Championship, but Norwich’s tumble continues. David Wagner’s side have now won just one of their last eight games and are down to 17th.

Sunderland dominated from the off and took the game to the Canaries, who have the joint worst defensive record in the Championship.

The Black Cats were bright from the off, bossed the early stages and came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock just before the midway stage of the first half when Clarke’s deflected strike hit the post.

But against the run of play it was Norwich who got their noses in front in controversial fashion. Sunderland expected the assistant to raise his flag when a pass was aimed in the direction of Gabriel Sara, who was clearly offside, but the forward let the ball run to overlapping right-back Kellen Fisher. He cut it back for Hwang to finish clinically into the far corner.

The goal did not knock Sunderland out of their stride and the hosts came roaring back. The deserved equaliser came eight minutes before the break, when Hume’s first-time effort from the edge of the box flashed through a sea of bodies and deflected off Shane Duffy into the far corner.

Sunderland took the lead in the final minute of the first half. The brilliant Clarke weaved through three Norwich defenders on the left before picking out Neil in the box, who calmly lifted the ball over George Long.

Mowbray’s side looked comfortable in the early stages of the second half but Norwich fired a warning just before the hour mark when Christian Fassnacht met a Dimitris Giannoulis cross from the left and headed against the post.

The Canaries had their moments in the second half but the game’s star man Clarke wrapped up the points for Sunderland when he won and scored a penalty on 80 minutes. The winger was tripped by Kenny McLean inside the box and picked himself up to send Long the wrong way.

Middlesbrough continued their rapid rise up the Championship table as they beat Norwich 2-1 at Carrow Road to make it six league wins on the trot.

Michael Carrick’s rejuvenated side never looked back after Sam Greenwood opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half.

Substitute Sammy Silvera completed a deserved win by netting a second in stoppage time and although Jonathan Rowe pulled one back at the death, his eighth goal of the season was no more than a consolation for the struggling hosts.

It was a second home defeat in the space of four days for the Canaries, who have slumped alarmingly after a bright beginning to the season.

After a slow start Boro had the better of a scrappy first half and carved out a number of decent opportunities as the game passed the half-hour mark.

Josh Coburn sent a close-range header straight at George Long after the home goalkeeper had punched a Jonny Howson high into the night sky and then Lukas Engel fired just over after being set up by a glorious crossfield ball from Isaiah Jones.

The visitors went even closer a few minutes later as the hosts carelessly coughed up possession deep inside their own half, allowing Hayden Hackney to bear down on goal but, although his shot beat Long, defender Shane Duffy was behind him to block.

After the recalled Marcelino Nunez had got an early shot on target, Norwich barely threatened despite having plenty of the ball and were booed off by some fans at the break.

The mood of the home faithful hardly improved when Boro took the lead 33 seconds into the second period
following a woefully misplaced pass by defender Dimi Giannoulis.

Hackney nipped in to intercept and sent Coburn racing through and the youngster simply squared for an unmarked Greenwood to slide the ball home with ease.

Norwich responded in spirited fashion, with Nunez cracking a shot against the crossbar after being fed by Giannoulis and Ben Gibson sending a powerful header inches wide against his former club.

Boro seemed content to soak up the pressure and rely on the occasional counter-attack and as the half wore Norwich struggled to get a clear sight of goal themselves.

It was the visitors who wrapped up the points in the second minute of stoppage time when substitute Silvera picked up a loose ball and skipped into the area before guiding a low shot into the bottom corner.

Rowe produced a tremendous finish from a tight angle to reduce the arrears in the ninth minute of added time but there was no time for another Norwich response.

Leeds manager Daniel Farke was full of praise for his players as they recovered from a 2-0 half-time deficit to win 3-2 at his former club Norwich.

The visitors moved up to third in the Championship table after producing a storming second-half display to maintain their upward momentum.

Farke admitted Norwich had given him an almighty scare but was delighted his new team found a way to prevail.

He said: “I am exhausted and ready for the sofa after that. It was a great game, a really good advert for the Championship between two good sides.

“Norwich made it very difficult for us, as I knew they would, but in the end I thought it was a deserved win.

“In the first half we created more chances than you would expect but we missed them and Norwich scored twice.

“Normally when you are 2-0 down at half-time you would say there was something wrong but I thought, no, we are playing well. We just need to stay on it and be more clinical and we were.

“It was a brilliant second half for us and a massive three points and all the praise has to go to the players. These sort of wins are the best when it comes to building up confidence and we are all delighted.”

Farke was jubilant at the final whistle but said he kept his celebrations in check out of respect to the home fans.

“It was quite emotional for me coming back to Norwich, which will always be a special place for me,” he said.

“I had four-and-a-half unbelievable years here. So I didn’t think it would be right to dance around and celebrate over the moon, even though I was so happy with my lads.”

Leeds wasted chance after chance in the opening period and were punished as Norwich took two of theirs.

Shane Duffy opened his account for the Canaries by heading home a fourth-minute corner from Gabriel Sara, who doubled their advantage in the 43rd minute when he powered through some weak tackling to blast home.

The visitors got back in it just past the hour mark as Duffy scored at the wrong end, deflecting a Dan James cross into his own net after it had eluded keeper George Long, on for the injured Angus Gunn.

The fortunate break gave Leeds the impetus to go on and win it, with Crysencio Summerville producing well-taken strikes in the 77th and 85th minutes to turn the game on its head.

Norwich head coach David Wagner felt there were positives for his team despite the heartbreaking finish.

“In football you get praised if you win and criticised if you lose but sometimes you have to look beyond the result,” he said.

“I have mixed emotions because although I am obviously disappointed with the result there were many things about our performance that pleased me.

“My job is not to get carried away if we win of it we lose. It is to look at the performance and if we continue to perform at a good level like that we will start winning games again.

“We were up against a very good side and that is why we conceded more chances than we would normally do.

“But we created plenty ourselves and I feel really sorry for the lads because they have put in a real shift out there.

“I saw plenty of good things although I was not happy with the way we defended for the first and third goals and that is something we need to look at.”