Norwich City 2 Sargent, Sara Preston North End 3 Riis 2 Parrott
Norwich City fell to defeat at home to Preston North End, losing 3-2 at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.
Josh Sargent opened the scoring after only two minutes, but Preston would go into the break level through Emil Riis.
Riis would put the away side in front in the second half, before Gabriel Sara's first goal for the club brought the two sides level.
The points would be Preston's, after Troy Parrott's deflected effort found its way beyond Tim Krul for the winner.
Dean Smith named an unchanged side from Tuesday night's draw away at Reading, with Liam Gibbs keeping his place in midfield.
The Canaries got off to the best possible start, scoring the game's opener after only two minutes through Sargent. The American latched onto the ball and fired low and beyond Freddie Woodman.
Preston would register their first attempt on goal through Ali McCann, whose curling effort was well over the crossbar.
Sargent then came close to adding his, and Norwich's, second. After some great footwork to beat a couple of Preston defenders, his shot forced Woodman into a smart save.
Teemu Pukki had two chances in as many minutes to double the advantage. His first effort was palmed away by Woodman, before a lifted effort rolled wide of the post.
Norwich's lack of clinical edge would come back to haunt them, as Riis rose highest from Robbie Brady's cross to head in the equaliser.
Marcelino Núñez was next to threaten, unleashing a twisting effort that went just wide of Woodman's post.
The Yellows started the second half on the front foot, as Pukki surged forward. The Finn couldn't find a teammate in the area with his cross, however.
Gibbs registered the first shot of the second half, but his effort lacked the bend to give the Preston goalkeeper any trouble.
Despite a positive start to the second half from Norwich, the away side would take the lead. Alvaro Fernández teed up Riis, who side-footed beyond Krul.
Sargent went close once again for the Canaries after some pinball in the Preston area, but saw his volley saved by Woodman.
Just before the hour mark, Norwich should've been level. Pukki's first touch set him up perfectly, but his shot lacked execution and went wide.
Krul was called into action to keep Norwich in the game. Troy Parrott's long range effort forced the Dutchman into a good stop, with Grant Hanley eventually clearing the danger.
And the Canaries would level with 15 minutes from time through Sara. Pukki did brilliantly to jink his way beyond a Preston defender and cross into the box, which Sara raced onto and fired into the top corner.
But the game wouldn't be level for long. Parrott's deflected cross into the box, which took a deflection off Gibbs, wrong-footed Krul for Preston's third.
Onel Hernández came close to finding an equaliser for Norwich, but would see his volley tipped over the crossbar by Woodman.
Kenny McLean thought he had rescued a point for the Yellows, but the referee had already blown his whistle after a foul in the build-up.
Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Hanley ©, Omobamidele, Byram (Sara 46), Gibbs (Hernández 81), McLean, Ramsey (Sinani 58), Núñez (Dowell 72), Sargent, Pukki.
Subs not used: Gunn, Gibson, Hugill.
Goals: Sargent (2), Sara (76)
Bookings: Byram (29)
Preston North End: Woodman, Fernández, Cunningham (Hughes 79), Whiteman, Lindsay, Browne, Brady (Woodburn 67), McCann (Ledson 82), Storey, Riis, Maguire (Parrott 46 (Johnson 82)).
Subs not used: Cornell, Diaby.
Goals: Riis (25, 51), Parrott (80)
Bookings: Brady (44), Fernández (55), Storey (64), Johnson (90)
HT: 1-1
FT: 2-3
Venue: Carrow Road
Referee: Dean Whitestone
Attendance: 26,062
![[Image: FekRX-OXkAIEanH?format=jpg&name=large]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FekRX-OXkAIEanH?format=jpg&name=large)
Norwich City fell to defeat at home to Preston North End, losing 3-2 at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.
Josh Sargent opened the scoring after only two minutes, but Preston would go into the break level through Emil Riis.
Riis would put the away side in front in the second half, before Gabriel Sara's first goal for the club brought the two sides level.
The points would be Preston's, after Troy Parrott's deflected effort found its way beyond Tim Krul for the winner.
Dean Smith named an unchanged side from Tuesday night's draw away at Reading, with Liam Gibbs keeping his place in midfield.
The Canaries got off to the best possible start, scoring the game's opener after only two minutes through Sargent. The American latched onto the ball and fired low and beyond Freddie Woodman.
Preston would register their first attempt on goal through Ali McCann, whose curling effort was well over the crossbar.
Sargent then came close to adding his, and Norwich's, second. After some great footwork to beat a couple of Preston defenders, his shot forced Woodman into a smart save.
Teemu Pukki had two chances in as many minutes to double the advantage. His first effort was palmed away by Woodman, before a lifted effort rolled wide of the post.
Norwich's lack of clinical edge would come back to haunt them, as Riis rose highest from Robbie Brady's cross to head in the equaliser.
Marcelino Núñez was next to threaten, unleashing a twisting effort that went just wide of Woodman's post.
The Yellows started the second half on the front foot, as Pukki surged forward. The Finn couldn't find a teammate in the area with his cross, however.
Gibbs registered the first shot of the second half, but his effort lacked the bend to give the Preston goalkeeper any trouble.
Despite a positive start to the second half from Norwich, the away side would take the lead. Alvaro Fernández teed up Riis, who side-footed beyond Krul.
Sargent went close once again for the Canaries after some pinball in the Preston area, but saw his volley saved by Woodman.
Just before the hour mark, Norwich should've been level. Pukki's first touch set him up perfectly, but his shot lacked execution and went wide.
Krul was called into action to keep Norwich in the game. Troy Parrott's long range effort forced the Dutchman into a good stop, with Grant Hanley eventually clearing the danger.
And the Canaries would level with 15 minutes from time through Sara. Pukki did brilliantly to jink his way beyond a Preston defender and cross into the box, which Sara raced onto and fired into the top corner.
But the game wouldn't be level for long. Parrott's deflected cross into the box, which took a deflection off Gibbs, wrong-footed Krul for Preston's third.
Onel Hernández came close to finding an equaliser for Norwich, but would see his volley tipped over the crossbar by Woodman.
Kenny McLean thought he had rescued a point for the Yellows, but the referee had already blown his whistle after a foul in the build-up.
Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Hanley ©, Omobamidele, Byram (Sara 46), Gibbs (Hernández 81), McLean, Ramsey (Sinani 58), Núñez (Dowell 72), Sargent, Pukki.
Subs not used: Gunn, Gibson, Hugill.
Goals: Sargent (2), Sara (76)
Bookings: Byram (29)
Preston North End: Woodman, Fernández, Cunningham (Hughes 79), Whiteman, Lindsay, Browne, Brady (Woodburn 67), McCann (Ledson 82), Storey, Riis, Maguire (Parrott 46 (Johnson 82)).
Subs not used: Cornell, Diaby.
Goals: Riis (25, 51), Parrott (80)
Bookings: Brady (44), Fernández (55), Storey (64), Johnson (90)
HT: 1-1
FT: 2-3
Venue: Carrow Road
Referee: Dean Whitestone
Attendance: 26,062
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?