Carlton Morris did his former club a huge favour with a match clinching goal as Barnsley stunned Norwich City's Championship promotion rivals Brentford 2-0 on Sunday.

The Bees would have knocked Norwich off top spot again with a draw, despite a thumping 4-1 win over Stoke on Saturday, but Conor Chaplin put the Tykes in front and striker Morris opened his account for his new club in the 47th minute, after joining Barnsley last month.

The Canaries now have a one point lead to the Bees, both clubs having played 29 games, with Swansea five points behind Norwich with two games in hand.

Valerin Ismael's side's first league win of 2021 also ended Brentford's 21-game unbeaten league run - the longest current streak in English football - which stretched back to October 24.

“We won but we have only three points,” he said. “For a few weeks we’ve performed well but not got the result, but all the time against the top sides like Norwich and Watford we have been very close. The game against Chelsea gave us a lot of confidence because if you play like that against them you can compete against any side in the league.

"This win means a lot because we said we needed to make the next step. How good you play is all very well but in football you need a result. It is not enough to perform against them, just be there and lose the game.

“In this division you can lose to anyone and win against anyone but you have to stay focused. We will enjoy tonight but the next game comes quickly.

"We have a way to play football and today was the result of three months’ work. Everyone knows the principle, what we have to do and the game-plan and it has given us more confidence.”

Bees' rival Thomas Frank is confident Brentford will bounce back.

“We knew before that Barnsley would make it difficult,” he said. “We lost to the better team today, but it is how we react to it and how we bounce back that matters. Today there was no lack of effort and they put everything out there.”

“It was inevitable that we would not go the rest of the season unbeaten but I think we have been so consistent and so good."

All three promotion rivals are next in action on Wednesday. Norwich travel to the Midlands to face Coventry City, with Brentford facing a London derby against QPR. Swansea host Chris Hughton's Nottingham Forest in midweek after their weekend fixture at Sheffield Wednesday was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Brentford is scheduled to visit Carrow Road on March 3.

Morris only made one senior league appearance for the Canaries but the academy product was part of the club's FA Youth Cup winning side in 2013 alongside the Murphy brothers. The 25-year-old went on to have numerous loan spells and was at MK Dons under Russell Martin earlier this season prior to sealing a permanent move to south Yorkshire.