'They were more clinical than us': Tim Walter holds up hands after Hull City's 4-0 defeat at Norwich

After winning three games on the spin at Stoke City, at home to Cardiff City and at Queen’s Park Rangers, Hull took a backward step as they were mauled by Norwich.

The Tigers went into the match in buoyant mood after their recent revival but were no match for a rampant home outfit who scored twice in each half to make it four wins in six games.

Helped by some desperately poor defending, Norwich scored two early goals in quick succession through Marcelino Nunez and Josh Sargent to take control.

They could then afford a missed penalty from Sargent before wrapping a comfortable win through Kaide Gordon – with his first goal since his loan move from Liverpool – and an eighth of the season from Spanish flyer Borja Sainz.

It left Walter to concede: “Congratulations to Norwich, they are a good team and deserved to win to win.

“They were a lot more clinical than us and took advantage of our mistakes while we didn’t take advantage of theirs.

“We lost the ball too often and didn’t win enough of the duels and were punished for it. The lads kept going and showed a good attitude but it is a defeat that we must accept.

“We must keep our heads up and remember that we had won our three previous games and were really good in them. Today we lost 4-0 and that is how it is in football sometimes.”

Norwich: Gunn (Long 46), Fisher, Duffy, Cordoba, Doyle, Nunez, McLean, Crnac (Gordon 58), Ben Slimane (Schwartau 70), Sainz (Stacey 80), Sargent (Marcondes 81). Unused substitutes: Hanley, Hills, Forsyth, Forson.

Hull City: Pandur, L Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin (Hughes 46), Drameh (Giles 62), Slater, Mehlem, Zambrano (Alzate 62), Belloumi, Bedia (Joao Pedro 72), Millar (Kamara 72). Unused substitutes: Rushworth, Simons, Palmer, Burstow.

Referee: T Nield (West Yorkshire).