DAVID CUFFLEY Jason Shackell paid tribute to his latest central defensive partner after helping the Canaries to their fourth win in six Championship games.The 23-year-old centre-back is 14 years Dion Dublin's junior but together they have helped City to successive 1-0 wins over two of last season's relegated Premiership clubs in Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.

DAVID CUFFLEY

Jason Shackell paid tribute to his latest central defensive partner after helping the Canaries to their fourth win in six Championship games.

The 23-year-old centre-back is 14 years Dion Dublin's junior but together they have helped City to successive 1-0 wins over two of last season's relegated Premiership clubs in Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.

Shackell also figured prominently at the back in a 1-0 success over the other relegated club, Birmingham, a notable treble for him and his team-mates since Peter Grant took over as manager.

He said: “It's a great win. West Brom haven't lost here this season, so to come here and get three points is a great achievement.

“Birmingham and West Brom are both similar. They're both really, really good sides who are going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season, so to come to places like this and grind out 1-0 victories is really good the for the boys.”

He said of Dublin: “Dion is massive, strong, very experienced and he talks to the whole team, helping me and the rest of the back four and he's come in and done really well.

“I did OK. I put myself in the way a few times. There are always a few things you can tidy up but I'm just happy with another clean sheet.

“We had the rub of the green a little bit. They hit the woodwork, they were unlucky a few times. That's football. One day it will happen to us and it will happen to everyone at some point so we're just happy at the three points.”

Shackell said Grant's influence was beginning to pay dividends.

He said: “He's added a lot of organisation, he's got everyone knowing what their jobs are, and we know what he expects of us and everyone has knuckled down. We've pulled together and we're doing OK at the minute.

“Stoke was an off afternoon for the whole team. We've now put that behind us, we've tightened up, we're happy with the way things are going, we're very organised and we've just got to make sure we keep it going.

“We're doing it not just as a back four but as a team, starting from Earnie and Hucks, and everybody did their part today.

“I'm looking forward to the derby against Ipswich and I can't wait for the kick-off, to be honest.

“We've just got to knuckle down. Past results mean nothing. We've got to go in with the right approach, we'll work hard this week and hopefully go to Portman Road and do the business.”

Grant described Dublin and Shackell as “colossal in the second half”.

He said: “I thought Jason was playing very well when he was playing with Gary Doherty as well. He's just got to understand his position more. When I came here at first he ended up playing left-back for 90 per cent of the game. He was letting Adam Drury go too early, then he ended up beside us out on the side of the pitch. I don't want my centre-backs out there. I want them playing in the middle of the goal because that's what they're paid to do.”