RICK WAGHORN Robert Green offered a typically honest assessment of last night's 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. “It wasn't the best of performances - we're under no illusions about that,” said the England World Cup hopeful, after commanding his penalty area in vintage Green fashion.

RICK WAGHORN

Canary keeper Robert Green offered a typically honest assessment of last night's 3-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

“It wasn't the best of performances - we're under no illusions about that,” said the England World Cup hopeful, after commanding his penalty area in vintage Green fashion.

“But I would have ripped your arm off if you'd have offered me a clean sheet before the start of the game. That's the first one this year and that's pleasing.

“So we've kept a clean sheet, scored three goals and all without playing well - what more do you want?”

Green's argument clearly runs along the lines of the old adage that you know when you've got a good team on your hands when it can play badly and win. In the current, poisonous climate, however, many might take rather more persuading that a phoenix from those Premiership flames is, indeed, hoving into view.

Rob Earnshaw's first two goals in Canary colours will certainly help after the Welsh international's trademark back-flip made its first appearance at Carrow Road. Twice in the space of the last three minutes, in fact - a double blast that lifted some of the pervading gloom that was accompanied by bouts of 'Worthy out!' during the course of a largely dire and nerve-wracked second-half.

“I was speaking to some of the kids as I was coming into the ground before the game and they were saying: 'We want to see the somersault!' so I'm happy because of that,” said Earnshaw.

Like Green, City's £2.75 million new-boy was well aware of the team's second-half failings. “For 25 minutes we let them have the ball when we should have kept the ball and passed them to death,” Earnshaw told the club's official website. “But we will take 3-0.”

As, clearly, will City boss Nigel Worthington.

“Football is all about winning and sometimes it doesn't happen quite as easily as people would want,” said Worthington, with a fine Darren Huckerby finish getting Norwich on their way.

Adam Hinshelwood's second-half dismissal hardly helped as it piled yet more pressure on the players to deliver in front of a dark and silently brooding Carrow Road.

The manager too admitted to his side's failings. “Once we had got ahead we tended to stand back and as a result Brighton got back into the game,” said Worthington, with Earnie's late double providing a timely tonic for all concerned.

“He will get plenty of chances at this football club and I'm sure he will score plenty of goals,” said Worthington, clearly a fan of his new star striker's gymnastic talents.

“I've just seen a couple of good back flips out there and I'm sure I'll be seeing plenty more of that,” he said.