PA PhotosAnthony Pilkington slotted home for Norwich against Sunderland

Norwich City is the child who just refuses to be bullied in the school playground. Fresh evidence was delivered with a second half backs-to-wall Premier League effort to edge past Sunderland for a precious three points at Carrow Road on Sunday afternoon.

- Norwich survive late onslaught
- Randall: Cats lose out to Canaries as crisis deepens

The Canaries were full value for their early 2-0 lead - courtesy of Sebastien Bassong's seemingly routine penalty box incursion and Anthony Pilkington capping a sublime bout of patient passing with a cool slot past Simon Mignolet.

Craig Gardner’s lifeline a minute before the interval was rough justice on Chris Hughton's side. But there was more than a self-inflicted element to the midfielder's swerving finish. Robert Snodgrass and Steven Whittaker were unable to subdue the impressive Danny Rose wide on the left flank, who in turn fed Gardner to whip past Mark Bunn's despairing dive, despite the keeper appearing to get his fingertips to the low strike.

Injured number one John Ruddy's deputy had earlier denied Rose from the edge of his penalty area in an otherwise watching brief as City totally dominated the Wearsiders. Martin O'Neill stood motionless at the front of his technical area for the majority of a first period where his boys were lucky to be second best. The Northern Irishman's body language summed up the present mood of the Black Cats. Yet O'Neill still has the magic motivational touch, judging by the transformation after the interval.

Sunderland deserved at least a point for their second half surge, and if Matthew Kilgallon had the same attacking instinct as his opposite number Bassong, it could have been even more. The elegant centre back lobbed wastefully over Bunn's bar from barely seven yards after Gardner's drilled free kick cannoned into his path via Bunn's left-hand upright.

Javier Garrido was forced to kick off his own goal line. Bunn then foiled Sessegnon in a game of chance from Rose's superb throughball. Ryan Bennett ensured Connor Wickham was unable to ram the collective taunts of the home fans down their throats when the former Ipswich youngster was denied at City's near post. It was a relentless, sustained burst for 20 minutes after the interval. Norwich had no answer; other than to retreat and rely on the defensive instincts of men like Bassong and Alex Tettey.

But you do not go eight games unbeaten in the Premier League without the will to resist. To push the bigger boys back and prove this particular Norwich vintage cannot be intimidated. Not in the face of Arsenal or Manchester United's superior quality. Or the more muscular threat of a Stoke or a Reading. Not even when you fall behind at Everton and Southampton as they did last week. Or when Sunderland re-discovered their mojo here.

Norwich's fourth Premier League home win of the season to move then seven points clear of the current bottom three were the fantastic numbers to savour once the dust settles on this latest game. But Hughton, Norwich's battling players and the home fans would concede victory over Sunderland owed as much to the Black Cats own deficiencies as fresh evidence of the Canaries' impressive resolve.

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