Norwich City 2-0 Burnley: Pierre Lees-Melou and Teemu Pukki keep Canaries' hope alive

Bottom club Norwich City kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding a quick-fire return to the Championship and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley with a crucial win at Carrow Road.

Pierre Lees-Melou's first goal since signing from Nice for £3.5m last July and Teemu Pukki's 86th-minute finish settled a tense relegation scrap - and earned the Canaries only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.

French midfielder Lees-Melou's ninth-minute deflected shot, which went in off the post, put the hosts on their way before Pukki drilled home the second to give Norwich a glimmer of hope of staying up, with Dean Smith's side now seven points from safety with seven matches left.

Burnley had their moments, with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious chance from three yards out.

In what was a must-win game, Norwich's defence came under relentless pressure at times but recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since October.

The result leaves the Clarets 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight matches remaining.

Gritty Norwich show fight - but have they left it too late?

With struggling Everton beating Manchester United on Saturday, Norwich started Sunday's game 10 points from safety with eight matches left.

But Smith's side passed the pressure test in style with a first win in nine league games.

It will still require a monumental effort for them to survive. Three of their final seven matches include teams challenging for Europe - West Ham (home), Tottenham (home) and Manchester United (away).

Smith said before the match he still had belief, and his players responded with a thoroughly professional performance against a team with renewed belief following their win over Everton.

Even before Lees-Melou's goal, Milot Rashica forced Nick Pope into a diving save, while the Burnley keeper denied Pukki by saving with his legs.

Just as impressive for Smith was his side's performance at the back.

Norwich made several vital blocks to frustrate Burnley, including one by former Clarets defender Ben Gibson to keep out Ashley Westwood's volley.

In the closing stages, Norwich's Grant Hanley headed against the bar while Pope denied Rashica before Pukki had home fans celebrating a rare win.

Burnley's survival hopes suffer major setback

Cornet will have nightmares about his 65th-minute miss, just days after he left the pitch at Turf Moor with fans singing his name following his late winner against Everton on Wednesday.

He looked certain to equalise as he slid to meet Dwight McNeil's lovely pass, but somehow put it wide as Burnley failed to score for the 15th time in the league this season.

Earlier, Cornet was denied by Tim Krul, but the Norwich keeper was not tested nearly enough in what was a high-stakes game.

Sean Dyche will still believe his side can climb out of trouble in the closing weeks, and they still have to meet fellow strugglers Watford on 30 April. But Burnley's survival hopes fade with each game without a win.

Substitute Matej Vydra headed against the bar in the closing moments before Josh Brownhill was frustrated by Krul, but the damage was already done.

Player of the match

PukkiTeemu Pukki

Norwich City

Squad number22Player namePukki

Squad number5Player nameHanley

Squad number20Player nameLees-Melou

Squad number21Player nameWilliams

Squad number23Player nameMcLean

Squad number1Player nameKrul

Squad number17Player nameRashica

Squad number10Player nameDowell

Squad number16Player nameNormann

Squad number4Player nameGibson

Squad number30Player nameGiannoulis

Squad number3Player nameByram

Squad number18Player nameTzolis

Squad number7Player nameRupp

Burnley

Squad number1Player namePope

Squad number9Player nameWeghorst

Squad number20Player nameCornet

Squad number11Player nameMcNeil

Squad number27Player nameVydra

Squad number5Player nameTarkowski

Squad number19Player nameRodriguez

Squad number22Player nameCollins

Squad number17Player nameLennon

Squad number3Player nameTaylor

Squad number8Player nameBrownhill

Squad number2Player nameLowton

Squad number18Player nameWestwood

Squad number10Player nameBarnes

Line-ups

Norwich

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Krul

3Byram5Hanley4Gibson30Giannoulis

23McLean16Normann

10Dowell20Lees-Melou17Rashica

22Pukki

Substitutes

Burnley

Formation 4-4-2

1Pope

2Lowton22Collins5Tarkowski3Taylor

17Lennon18Westwood8Brownhill20Cornet

19Rodriguez9Weghorst

Substitutes

Live Text

Match ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.

Second Half ends, Norwich City 2, Burnley 0.

Attempt saved. Josh Brownhill (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Maxwel Cornet.

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Tim Krul.

Attempt missed. Brandon Williams (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Milot Rashica.

Matej Vydra (Burnley) hits the bar with a header from the left side of the six yard box. Assisted by Matthew Lowton.

Foul by Maxwel Cornet (Burnley).

Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution, Norwich City. Christos Tzolis replaces Teemu Pukki.

Offside, Norwich City. Tim Krul tries a through ball, but Milot Rashica is caught offside.

Foul by Matthew Lowton (Burnley).

Milot Rashica (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Josh Brownhill (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Mathias Normann (Norwich City).

Goal! Norwich City 2, Burnley 0. Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mathias Normann with a through ball.

Foul by Matej Vydra (Burnley).

Sam Byram (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution, Burnley. Ashley Barnes replaces Jay Rodriguez.

Substitution, Norwich City. Brandon Williams replaces Dimitris Giannoulis.

Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Matthew Lowton.

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