David Cuffley Defender Michael Nelson summed up the importance of Norwich City's latest away day success when he said: 'One-nil is a great scoreline.' With Charlton left idle by the postponement of their match at Walsall, of all places, the Canaries moved into second place in League One thanks to Korey Smith's winner at Wycombe Wanderers - and a third successive clean sheet.

David Cuffley

Defender Michael Nelson summed up the importance of Norwich City's latest away day success when he said: “One-nil is a great scoreline.”

With Charlton left idle by the postponement of their match at Walsall, of all places, the Canaries moved into second place in League One thanks to Korey Smith's winner at Wycombe Wanderers - and a third successive clean sheet.

Centre-half Nelson, recalled in place of the injured Jens Berthel Askou for the last three games, has contributed to those shut-outs against Huddersfield, Millwall and Wycombe and helped put nine points in the bag.

“It's pleasing and it takes a little bit of pressure off the boys in front of you knowing that they don't have to score three or four goals to win a game,” he said.

“One-nil is a great scoreline. It could have been more but it's nice knowing they don't have to bang a load of goals in for us to win.”

Paul Lambert's men had to be patient as Wycombe goalkeeper Scott Shearer produced an inspired display to keep them at bay until Smith struck in the 77th minute with his third goal of the season.

“We just had to make sure we kept it tight at the back and the way the boys were playing in front of us, I think it was a matter of time before the goal came,” said Nelson.

“We've got that confidence that we're going to score goals and at the minute we're having quite a good run of clean sheets.

“But if it hadn't been for the 'keeper I think we'd have had it sewn up a lot earlier.”

Wycombe's one real chance came and went when Matt Phillips' shot struck the post and rebounded into goalkeeper Fraser Forster's arms, just a minute before Smith scored.

“That's the danger you face when you're so on top,” said Nelson. “You've got to try to make sure you keep them out. We got that little bit of luck but in the same sense they had their little bit of luck with our two free-kicks in the first half and clearances off the line so, as people say, you make your own luck.”

City used their game in hand on Charlton to nudge past the Londoners on goal difference but Nelson said they would not get carried away by their run of 11 league matches without defeat.

“Charlton have been looking over their shoulders for the past few weeks and now they've got to try to get past us. But the objective doesn't change,” he said.

“We'll go out and take every game as it comes and just try to get three points out of the game coming up next - and as long as we do that the league table says we'll be there at the end of the season.”

For Nelson, City's nightmare start to the season is a distant memory and the 29-year-old is determined to grab his chance of regular first team football.

He said: “I had to be patient. I got back in the side but I was unfortunate with an injury and once I got fit, it was just a matter of being patient again because the lads were playing fantastically. They were on a great run, so the manager stuck with the team but I've managed to get back in now and I hope I can stay in there and that we keep getting the clean sheets we're grinding out.”

Nelson needed treatment after being caught by a challenge by Phillips late in the first half, but completed 90 minutes.

“I just kicked his studs. He probably came in a bit late on me but I'll be fine,” he said. “We've got no midweek game this week, so we can get on the training pitch, do our work and get prepared for next week's game against Exeter.”