Norwich City 0 West Brom 1: Rondon seals points for Pulis' men

Salomon Rondon scored the only goal of the game as West Brom moved into the top eight of the Premier League by handing Norwich City a third straight defeat with a 1-0 win at Carrow Road.

Alex Neil's Norwich went into the match on the back of a 6-2 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United and their slide continued on Saturday with another disappointing display.

Despite a host of first-half chances, Norwich were frustrated by a West Brom side that looks to have rediscovered the defensive solidity that is a trademark of Tony Pulis' teams.

Having previously shipped eight goals in three games in all competitions - including a 3-0 League Cup defeat at Norwich - Rondon's close-range header just after half-time made it back-to-back 1-0 victories after Pulis' side beat Sunderland by the same scoreline last weekend.

Following a busy opening 45 minutes, visiting goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was rarely tested in the second half as West Brom comfortably closed out the game.

The defeat makes it five league games without a win for Norwich, who are just three points above the relegation zone ahead of a daunting trip to face leaders Manchester City next weekend.

An open start saw both goalkeepers forced into fine early saves.

First West Brom's Chris Brunt drew John Ruddy into action by letting fly from 20 yards in the eighth minute before Nathan Redmond's effort across the face of goal from a tight angle was kept out by Myhill.

West Brom would have taken the lead in the 30th minute had Rondon been able to get a touch on Craig Dawson's teasing low cross from the right at the end of a well-worked free-kick routine.

And the visitors were almost punished eight minutes later when Redmond turned a whipped left-wing delivery from Matt Jarvis - who came into Norwich side as part of three changes by Neil - narrowly over.

Brunt forced Ruddy into action again with a deflected drive from range and Dawson went close with a point-blank header from a corner, with Rondon then meeting Brunt's cross with a header that just cleared the crossbar on the stroke of half-time shortly after Dieumerci Mbokani had been denied by Myhill at the other end.

But just a minute after the restart West Brom finally did break the deadlock as Rondon rose highest at the far post to power James McClean's left-wing cross beyond Ruddy, who then brilliantly turned a curling Brunt effort wide.

West Brom did not show much attacking ambition after Rondon's opener, and they held out with little difficulty on another testing day for Neil and Norwich.