Josh Maja nets winner for West Brom as Norwich City’s home struggles continue

Norwich City’s Carrow Road misery continued as West Bromwich Albion won 1-0 to condemn the Canaries to a fifth successive home defeat.

Josh Maja side-footed home what proved to be the winner in the 20th minute to get the visitors back to winning ways after three games without a victory.

Norwich dominated for long periods without ever looking particularly convincing and would have got something out of the game had it not been for a superb display from keeper Josh Griffiths, who made a string of fine saves to keep them out.

After a low-key start, the match burst into life midway through the first half, with Albion going ahead from their first dangerous attack and Norwich creating a couple of good openings.

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Match action

A well-timed block from Nat Phillips snuffed out a good opportunity for Josh Sargent before Albion launched a swift attack of their own to take the lead.

Samuel Iling-Junior was the architect, jinking into the box down the right and sending in a low cross that was parried by Vladan Kovacevic and fell nicely for Isaac Price to square to Maja for the simplest of finishes.

Norwich almost produced an immediate response, with Griffiths producing an excellent one-handed stop to keep out Emi Marcondes’ low drive from a narrow angle – and it was the hosts who had the better of it for the remainder of the half.

They really should have equalised just before the half hour mark when Marcondes’ free-kick was flicked on and fell nicely for Harry Darling, just outside the six-yard box, but the defender ballooned his shot over.

Second half

Griffiths produced his second fine stop of the night five minutes into the second half to keep out Marcondes’ 25-yard free-kick, while Darling was inches wide with a header.

By now it was almost one-way traffic towards the visitors’ goal but Norwich struggled to create clear-cut chances and it was not until the 83rd minute that they went close again.

It looked a goal all the way when Jovon Makama connected with a cross from fellow substitute Matej Jurasek at the back post but Griffiths produced a brilliant reflex save to keep his header out.

Griffiths was at it again a few minutes later, thwarting Ante Crnac when he looked certain to score and, inspired by their in-form keeper, the Baggies held on for a hard-fought win.

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