Chirpy Canaries flying high

Anthony Pilkington insists Norwich’s only aim this season remains Barclays Premier League survival despite the Canaries moving up to ninth on Saturday.

Norwich were favourites to finish this season — their first in the top flight for six years — as the league’s bottom club, but they have defied all expectations.

The victory, which came courtesy of goals from Andrew Surman and Pilkington, means Paul Lambert’s men are now just eight points off a Europa League spot.

Should they maintain their excellent home form and pick up a few more points on the road — starting away at Swansea next week — a late assault on a European place may not be beyond the Norfolk outfit.

However, no-one at Carrow Road is starting to think that way, according to Irish-qualified Pilkington.

“Our plan at the start of the season was to survive and we are not looking away from that because if you take your eye off it then you start doing things you are not supposed to do,” the winger said.

“This season has always been about survival and then next season building on that. We’re 13 points from the bottom three. It’s a lovely gap but we are not going to get carried away.

“This is the best league in the world and anything can happen. You can never take your foot off the gas in this league and we’re not going to.”

Pilkington was proud of his team’s display, which came three days after their six-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 3-0 trouncing at Sunderland.

“We were all really hurt after Wednesday,” said Pilkington, a 23-year-old summer signing from Huddersfield.

“We are an honest bunch and we realise we got turned over, but we have shown how we can bounce back.”