LONDON – Norwich City secured promotion to the English Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
Victory left Championship leaders Norwich nine points clear of third-placed Leeds with just six left to play for in the final two regular-season games and only the top two assured of a place in English football's lucrative top-flight.
The Canaries kicked-off at Carrow Road knowing just a point would be enough to secure promotion.
Norwich went ahead in the 13th minute through Marco Stiepermann thanks to the German midfielder's low shot from 20 yards.
The East Anglian club moved closer to a place among the elite through an even more spectacular goal, Mario Vranic’s strike from 25 yards flying into the top corner in the 21st minute.
But two minutes later Blackburn threatened to spoil the party thanks to Lewis Travis’s goal.
That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors with Norwich seeing out the game for all three points.