Report | Norwich City 6-1 Argyle

Argyle suffered a 6-1 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road on Tuesday night.

Despite Mustapha Bundu finding the back of the net before half-time, a hat-trick from Borja Sainz and goals from Shane Duffy, Anis Slimane and Ante Crnac handed the hosts victory.

Argyle made three changes from their last-gasp draw to Watford on Friday with Callum Wright, Bundu and Victor Palsson coming into the starting line-up. Daniel Grimshaw stayed between the sticks, with Matty Sorinola, Bali Mumba, Julio Pleguezuelo and Kornel Szucs joining Palsson at the back.

Adam Randell will once again take the captain’s armband, alongside Darko Gyabi in midfield. Wright and Bundu played either side of Andre Gray, who led the line.

Norwich’s start to the game couldn’t have been any better in their eyes. Some quick passing and a small amount of luck handed Sainz the opportunity to take a quick shot in front of goal, which he converted. The goal came with shouts of offside from players in white, but a touch from Pleguezuelo ruled out any chance of a no-goal and gave the Canaries an early advantage.

A flurry of attacks from those in yellow soon followed and just after the 10-minute mark, Norwich were in full-flow causing problems for the Pilgrims. Crnac hit the post a minute before Sainz picked up a loose ball just outside the Argyle area and forced Szucs into a sliding block.

Five minutes later, it seemed that Argyle would be chasing a two-goal lead, but an open header for Crnac was met by an unbelievable reaction save from Grimshaw, before being cleared out of danger by Szucs.

However, any glimmer of hope after a small spell of possession and forward progression from Argyle was soon taken away when Sainz ran behind the defensive line and slotted home his and Norwich’s second goal. The Spaniard timed his run to perfection to meet Emiliano Marcondes’ through ball before opening his body and curling his shot into the bottom corner, similar to his opener.

The pressure continued to squeeze Argyle in their final third, with Sainz winning a free kick on the edge of the Greens’ area. Marcondes stepped up and fired a shot over a jumping wall, but Grimshaw was able to get his body behind the ball and stop the effort.

Despite being under immense pressure, a chance fell to the feet of Randell from outside the Norwich box. Running onto the ball, Argyle’s captain shot towards goal, forcing Angus Gunn into a diving save, which he pushed around the post for a corner. Although the resulting set-piece came to nothing, it gave the Greens a small boost which soon turned into cheers from the away end.

Norwich tried to play out from the back, but a pressing Szucs won the ball back and played a forward ball into Gray's feet. The Jamaican international gently set up an onrushing Bundu, who slotted home past Gunn and reduced the hosts’ lead to one, five minutes before the break.

Norwich looked to push forward but could not create any chances to worry Argyle in the final stages of the half and took a one-goal lead into the break.

Head Coach Wayne Rooney opted for no changes at half-time, but after an hopeful chances from Randell and Wright, Norwich’s lead was back to two. Shane Duffy leapt above the rest and headed home a corner before wheeling off in celebration.

After looking to push forward, four substitutes entered the pitch within 10 minutes, but the pressure from the hosts was too much. Sainz picked up the ball from Jack Stacey, cut onto his right foot and curled an effort into the far corner past Grimshaw, to secure his hat-trick and hand the Canaries a 4-1 lead.

The continued progression from Norwich was taking a toll on Argyle, with the Greens finding it hard to move up the pitch and create their chances. With 10 minutes to go, a ball across the box was met by substitute Slimane, who guided a shot into the bottom corner, sending the Carrow Road crowd cheering for the fifth time in the evening.

A sixth came for the hosts a minute later, when Crnac stole the ball from a loose Pleguezuelo touch and fired the ball into the back of the net.

Argyle: 31 Dan Grimshaw, 2 Bali Mumba, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 6 Kornel Szucs, 11 Callum Wright (27 Adam Forshaw, 70), 15 Mustapha Bundu (35 Freddie Issaka, 62), 18 Darko Gyabi (28 Rami Al Hajj, 70), 19 Andre Gray (34 Caleb Roberts, 81), 20 Adam Randell (capt), 29 Matty Sorinola (14 Michael Obafemi, 62), 44 Victor Palsson. Substitutes: 25 Marko Marosi (gk), 3 Nathanael Ogbeta, 17 Lewis Gibson, 39 Tegan Finn.

Goals: Bundu 39

Booked: Sorinola 38

Norwich: 1 Angus Gunn, 3 Jack Stacey, 4 Shane Duffy, 6 Callum Doyle, 7 Borja Sainz (10 Ashley Barnes, 83), 11 Emiliano Marcondes, 14 Ben Chrisene (40 Brad Hills, 83), 17 Arne Crnac, 18 Amankwah Forson (20 Anis Ben Slimane, 62), 19 Jacob Sorensen (8 Liam Gibbs, 62), 29 Oscar Schwartau, 70), 23 Kenny McLean (capt). Substitutes: 12 George Long (gk), 5 Grant Hanley, 21 Kaide Gordon, 25 Onel Hernandez.

Goals: Sainz 2, 17, 73, Duffy 51, Ben Slimane 80, Crnac 82

Referee: Sunny Gill

Attendance: 25,893 (461 away)