Championship wrap: Norwich clinch promotion

Championship side Norwich City have capitalised on Cardiff City’s loss to Middlesbrough to secure promotion to the English Premier League.

The Canaries held on to their 1-0 lead against Portsmouth on Monday to clinch their second successive promotion, after they claimed the League One title last season.

Cardiff’s 3-2 defeat to Tony Mowbray’s mathematically ruled them out of automatic promotion, putting them four points behind Norwich with a game remaining.

After a scoreless first half Fratton Park, the Paul Lambert’s men scored the winning goal five minutes through Simeon Jackson’s header.

The Canadian forward latched onto a speculative cross from David Fox to hand his side the lead, which they hung onto despite a tense finale as Portsmouth searched desperately for an equaliser.

The victory ensured Paul Lambert’s men maintained their winning streak – now at four games – and join Queens Park Rangers in the English top flight, pending the west London outfit’s disciplinary hearing over the third-party ownership of midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.

Norwich were relegated from the EPL in 2004/05 but have now returned after six seasons.

Cardiff must take the playoffs route to resolve their destiny after falling to Middlesbrough.

Three quick-fire goals in the opening 21 minutes from Leroy Lita, Barry Robson and Richard Smallwood opened a 3-0 deficit that the Dave Jones’ men could not overturn.

Lita’s headed effort opened the scoring after just three minutes for Boro, before the former Reading forward turned provider for Robson ten minutes later.

Smallwood rounded out the scoring with his maiden senior goal.

The result means Cardiff must return to the playoffs to rescue their promotion bid, with memories of last season’s heartbreaking loss to Blackpool still fresh in their minds.

On the other end of the table, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe United and Preston North End have already been relegated to the League One.