Josh Sargent scored his first goals since October as Norwich stayed on the fringe of the Championship play-off race with a 5-1 victory over Swansea at Carrow Road.

The United States international, who was starting for the first time after a lengthy absence through injury, fired the Canaries in front just before the break and then restored their lead immediately after Liam Cullen had levelled for the visitors.

Further goals from Lewis Dobbin, Ante Crnac and Emiliano Marcondes completed a deserved if somewhat flattering success, inflicting a fourth successive defeat over a poor Swansea side.

A cagey first half with little goalmouth action ended with a flurry of activity in the closing stages as the Canaries took the lead and almost added a second.

The breakthrough arrived in the 44th minute as Marcondes picked out an unmarked Sargent the box, with the American taking advantage of the space afforded to him to drill the ball into the bottom corner.

Norwich were quickly on the attack again and it took a good stop from Lawrence Vigouroux to thwart Dobbin after the on-loan Aston Villa man had burst into the area.

The hosts had had the better of it before then, although Sargent’s shot across goal which was deflected just wide was their only clear-cut opportunity.

After a quiet start to the second half the game burst into life again with two goals in the space of a minute.

The Swans got back on level terms on 62 minutes following a neat move down the right which ended with Josh Key sending in a cross that was nodded home from close range by top scorer Cullen.

But Norwich went straight back up the other end to restore their lead with a second goal from Sargent, who again worked himself some space in the area to pick up Kenny McLean’s pass and finish with aplomb.

The hosts gave themselves some breathing space on 76 minutes when they made it 3-1, with Dobbin opening his account for the club.

The wideman caught Key in possession just inside the Swansea half and ran through unchallenged before beating Vigouroux with a low shot to the keeper’s right.

Substitute Crnac made it 4-1 on 84 minutes after latching onto a long ball from the back and outmuscling new boy Hannes Delcroix to find the net, before Marcondes completed the scoring with a tap in after Crnac’s lob had come back off the crossbar.