Norwich City 6-1 Plymouth Argyle: Borja Sainz scores a hat-trick in thumping win

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Plymouth Argyle at Carrow Road on Tuesday night; Borja Sainz scored a brilliant hat-trick as the Canaries thumped Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims.

Tuesday 26 November 2024 23:01, UK

Borja Sainz netted his second hat-trick of the season as Norwich bounced back to winning ways in spectacular fashion by thrashing Plymouth 6-1 at Carrow Road.

Without a win in their seven previous Championships games, the Canaries were in control from the moment top scorer Sainz fired them into a second-minute lead.

Sainz went on to add two more to take his season's tally to 15 while Shane Duffy, Anis Ben Slimane and Ante Crnac were also on target as the hosts got their season firmly back on track.

Mustapha Bundu had given Argyle a glimmer of hope by making it 2-1 just before the break but they were outclassed throughout and could easily have lost by an even greater margin.

Norwich completely dominated the opening 20 minutes, scoring twice and carving out enough chances to have at least doubled that tally.

The Canaries took less than two minutes to get their noses in front, with the linesman's flag staying down as Crnac slipped the ball through to Sainz, who fired home from what looked like an offside position.

But Argyle defender Julio Pleguezuelo had got a touch on the ball after Crnac's pass so the goal stood, much to the disgust of visiting coach Wayne Rooney, who made his feelings known to the fourth official in no uncertain manner.

The Norwich opportunities continued to come thick and fast, with Duffy side-footing over from close range and Crnac hitting a post with a low shot before heading straight at goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw when it looked easier to score.

A second goal was inevitable and it finally arrived in the 17th minute when Emiliano Marcondes played in Sainz who calmly beat the keeper to maintain his superb start to the season.

Plymouth looked shell-shocked but got themselves a lifeline on 39 minutes.

Jacob Sorensen's risky pass out of defence was intercepted by Kornel Szucs and his ball to Andre Gray was flicked into the path of Bundu to confidently beat Angus Gunn from just inside the box.

Norwich would have been kicking themselves for only being one up at the break but quickly restored their two-goal advantage in the second half.

Just six minutes after the restart, they won a corner on the left and Marcondes' delivery was perfectly directed for Duffy to head home virtually unchallenged to make it 3-1.

It was game over on 72 minutes as Sainz completed his hat-trick to extend the home side's lead.

With Argyle chasing a way back into the game, a quick Norwich break ended with Jack Stacey playing in the little Spaniard, who cut inside before beating Grimshaw with another sublime finish.

The hosts then scored twice in the space of three minutes to make it a humiliating night for Rooney's men.

Substitute Slimane opened his account for the Canaries in the 80th minute after latching on to a Stacey cutback and then Crnac pounced on an error from Pleguezuelo to fire home a sixth.

The managers

Norwich's Johannes Hoff Thorup:

"It was great to see the side scoring goals again - that is what pleased me most about tonight. It's the reason we play the way we do, to create chances and score goals.

"I was really pleased with the way we started the game, it got the crowd going and lifted the atmosphere straight away.

"For 20-25 minutes I thought we we really good but we then dropped off a bit and allowed them back in it.

"I reminded the players at half-time that they need to be clean and focused on the ball, even when they are on top, and in the second half we were better.

"He [Sainz] keeps getting in the same sort of positions again and again and then shows his individual quality to score the goals.

"With the way he is playing at the moment I am not looking forward to January, that's for sure!"

Plymouth's Wayne Rooney:

"We were nowhere near good enough - we are down to the bare bones with injuries but that is no excuse.

"We were fortunate to be only 2-1 down at half-time. You then hope for a reaction in the second half but once they made it 3-1 I thought we went under, which is very disappointing. The players just didn't look like they thought they could get back in it.

"We need to be a lot better than that - the next 24-48 hours are not going to be very nice for the players.

"I have praised them a lot this season for their performances at home - but away needs to much better than this and we have got to get to the bottom of why it keeps happening - it can't carry on like this.

"I just feel sorry for the fans who have come all this way - they will be not be pleased with what they have seen tonight."