Sport

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

Admin 4 hours ago

5 1 minute read

Borja Sainz scored his second hat-trick of the season as Norwich returned to victory in spectacular fashion by beating Plymouth 6-1 at Carrow Road.

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

Sainz added two more to take his season 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 half-time, but they were outclassed throughout and could easily have lost by an even bigger margin.

Norwich completely dominated the first twenty minutes, scoring twice and creating enough chances to at least double that tally.

It took the Canaries less than two minutes to take the lead, with the linesman's flag remaining low as Crnac slipped the ball through to Sainz, who fired home from what looked like offside.

But Argyle defender Julio Pleguezuelo had touched the ball after Crnac's pass so the goal stood, much to the horror of visiting coach Wayne Rooney, who made his feelings known in no uncertain terms to the fourth official.

Norwich's chances continued to come thick and fast, with Duffy moving wide from close range and Crnac hitting a post with a low shot before going straight at goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw when it looked easier to score.

A second goal was inevitable and finally came in the 17th minute as Emiliano Marcondes played in Sainz, who calmly beat the keeper to maintain his excellent start to the season.

Plymouth looked shell-shocked but were given a lifeline after 39 minutes.

Jacob Sorensen's risky pass from defense was intercepted by Kornel Szucs and his ball to Andre Gray was curled into Bundu's path to confidently beat Angus Gunn from just inside the penalty area.

Norwich would have kicked themselves for only leading by one at half-time, but quickly restored their two-goal lead in the second half.

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

After 72 minutes the game was over as Sainz completed his hat-trick and extended the home side's lead.

As Argyle chased a way back into the match, a Norwich fast 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 evening for Rooney's men.

Substitute Slimane opened his account for the Canaries in the 80th minute after latching onto a Stacey cutback, before Crnac pounced on a Pleguezuelo error to score a sixth.