Norwich 2-1 Blackburn: Canaries promoted from Championship – as it happened

A screamer from Mario Vrancic proved decisive as Norwich clinched promotion to the Premier League with another charming performance

9.34pm BST

Paul Doyle’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave with you that. Thanks for your company and emails. Congratulations to everyone connected with Norwich City, who thoroughly deserve promotion. They are Premier League!

Related: Mario Vrancic blasts Norwich past Blackburn and into the Premier League

9.33pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Laurence Bennett. “Are they not singing ‘Farke Life’? I wish I was there to join in, but no tickets!”

Ah yes, of course they are, and I am an idiot.

9.33pm BST

Here’s Ben Godfrey

“This is the best day of my life. We’re young and hungry and I think it shows on the pitch.”

9.29pm BST

Post-match interviews

Christoph Zimmermann

9.26pm BST

A huge, throaty cheer went round the ground as the final whistle was blown. Daniel Farke clenched his fists in triumph before embracing his coaching staff. Some of the players are in tears; most of them are beaming; all of them are consumed with joy. Delia Smith is singing along to Parklife. It’s a lovely and rather moving scene.

9.23pm BST

Full time: Norwich 2-1 Blackburn Norwich are back where they belong.

9.22pm BST

90+4 min Two more substitutions for Norwich - Jordan Rhodes and Moritz Leitner replace Onel Hernandez and Teemu Pukki.

9.20pm BST

90+2 min Marco Stiepermann, who scored a fine first goal, walks off to a standing ovation. He’s replaced by Alex Tettey.

9.19pm BST

90+1 min The corner is half cleared to Rothwell on the edge of the area. He chests the ball down and swishes a volley over the bar. That was a chance.

9.19pm BST

90 min There will be three minutes of added time. Conway’s cross is headed behind by Godfrey for a Blackburn corner.

9.17pm BST

89 min If it stays like this, Norwich will need a point from their final match at Aston Villa to win the title.

9.14pm BST

87 min “As I said,” says Simon McMahon, “it’s not like me to shoehorn a reference to my own club into an email, but for those that might not know, Craig Conway scored twice for Dundee United in the 2010 Scottish Cup final.”

9.14pm BST

86 min Norwich have calmed the game down after that jittery spell, and they will soon be officially promoted to the Premier League. That’s when the party will really start, unless somebody puts on the floorfiller of a third goal before then.

9.13pm BST

85 min “Get the Job Done City,” says Erik Orring. “Never mind the danger!”

9.13pm BST

84 min Stiepermann is struggling. He challenged Chapman and accidentally did the splits, injuring his groin in the process.

9.11pm BST

82 min “Hi Rob,” says Charlie Robinson. “Like your earlier correspondent, Phil Withall, I also support a team aiming for promotion from the Championship this season, and I share his ambivalence regarding joining a division that could generously be described as venal. But the Premier League does have room for goodies alongside the baddies, and if Norwich can position themselves as playing feelgood football with humble goodwill, as you rightly say they have done this season, they could become the sort of team that Southampton and Swansea have been in years just past. Those of us who are tired of owners from brutal authoritarian regimes and hedge-funds are crying out for a club just like Norwich to do well in the Premier League and charm the socks off everyone. So I don’t think Phil should be too despondent yet - they could be the antidote to the shameless and charmless moral bankruptcy of our top flight.”

9.09pm BST

81 min Armstrong is booked for a hack at the superb Jamal Lewis.

9.08pm BST

79 min Chapman wins a corner for Blackburn, who are having their best spell of the half. It’s all getting a bit nervy. Norwich will be promoted no matter what, but the team and supporters want it sealed mathematically tonight so that they can celebrate accordingly.

9.06pm BST

78 min Aarons is limping after a challenge on Chapman, as is Buendia after a tackle by Rothwell.

9.04pm BST

76 min A half chance for Blackburn, with Williams heading over from the penalty spot after a flat cross from the right.

9.03pm BST

74 min Yet another missed chance for Norwich! Hernandez moves through on goal and slips the ball past Leutwiler, but Bell clears off the line. Moments later, Stiepermann’s fierce low shot is palmed away superbly by Leutwiler.

9.02pm BST

74 min Norwich are passing the clock down and are 16 minutes away from promotion. Gonzo’s Tea Room will be rocking tonight.

8.59pm BST

71 min Another Blackburn change: Bradley Dack is replaced by Harry Chapman.

8.58pm BST

70 min Hernandez skips round the outside and crosses low into the area, where Bell screws an attempted clearance behind for a corner.

8.56pm BST

68 min “Blackburn fan here half-watching half-pretending to be interested our dinner party guests’ conversation about Cavapoo breeding (no I don’t live in Blackburn anymore),” says Neal Wallace. “Norwich are a wonderful side, but spare a thought for Blackburn, who have also somehow cultivated a feel-good atmosphere out of the pits of absolute despair. Something to celebrate all round.”

8.55pm BST

66 min In other news, here’s more on Sheffield United’s ascent to the Premier League.

Related: Sheffield United on verge of promotion after Hogan and O’Connell sink Ipswich

8.53pm BST

65 min Dack whacks a lamentable free-kick into orbit.

8.52pm BST

64 min Zimmermann is booked for taking a shortcut through the back of Brereton 22 yards from goal. It’s a fair way to the left of centre, and Bradley Dack is going to take it.

8.51pm BST

63 min Conway’s deflected cross from the left just evades the sliding Dack at the near post. Norwich are well on top but Blackburn are still a threat.

8.49pm BST

61 min Another chance for Norwich! Buendia plays a neat pass into the area for the right-back Aarons, who splatters over the bar from a tight angle.

8.49pm BST

60 min “Hi Rob,” says Ian Wilson. “It’s lovely to see how Norwich are playing this season, they’re producing wonderful approach football and scoring some great goals. I love the combination of skill, work rate, and team spirit. But bloody hell they’ve missed some chances in recent games. They create so many… should be 6-1 up in this game. But as you say, it’s great fun, and it’s uplifting to see football played this way.”

Yes, that sums it up: it’s feelgood football. Not just the way they play, but also the atmosphere around the club. There’s no entitlement or expectation, just humble goodwill. That probably sounds patronising but it’s not meant to be. They evoke a more innocent, decent time.

8.46pm BST

58 min A Blackburn change: Whatever Happened To Jack Rodwell is replaced by Craig Conway.

8.45pm BST

56 min: Hernandez hits the bar! It was another thrilling strike. McLean’s long pass out to the left gave Hernandez to isolate Bennett. He ran into the area, shifted the ball onto his right foot and blasted a spectacular shot that flew across Leutwiler and smacked off the bar.

8.43pm BST

55 min Norwich are reasonably comfortable, although a third goal would allow everyone to relax.

8.41pm BST

53 min Dack is booked for a studs-up challenge on Buendia. He got the ball but the referee felt he came through Buendia to do so.

8.40pm BST

52 min Stiepermann lopes forward and picks out a clever square pass to Buendia, whose first-time shot from 16 yards is blocked.

8.38pm BST

50 min After an excellent passing move from Blackburn, Bell’s 20-yard shot is blocked by Godfrey.

8.36pm BST

48 min “Talk about kicking a man when he’s down, Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Mr Dony is a man on the edge. I think, although I’m not sure, he supports Liverpool. And Wales. Almost as bad as being a Dundee United and Scotland fan. You know it’s not like me to shoehorn a reference to my own team into an email, but the only time Dundee United have featured in an MBM was the 2014 Scottish Cup Final v St. Johnstone when I threatened / promised to give it all up if we won. So I blame the Guardian.”

8.36pm BST

47 min Buendia almost makes it 3-1 with an improvised overhead kick that is palmed away by the sprawling Leutwiler. That was a fine effort and a smart save.

8.33pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Norwich begin the second half. Blackburn have made a change, with Ben Brereton on for the anonymous Danny Graham.

8.21pm BST

Half-time reading

Related: Football League: Rotherham relegated and Yeovil drop to National League

8.18pm BST

Peep peep! Norwich are on course to secure promotion tonight. They raced into a 2-0 lead through cracking long-range strikes from Marco Stiepermann and Mario Vrancic, but Lewis Travis’s precise finish brought Blackburn back into the match. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

8.15pm BST

45 min There will be two minutes of added time.

8.14pm BST

44 min Bell shoots high and wide for Blackburn. They are still a threat, although Norwich look like they could score with every attack.

8.13pm BST

43 min “I’ve let Norwich down, I’ve let the MBM ‘community’ down, and I’ve let myself down,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve also let Morrissey down, but that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. I’ll make it up to Norwich by supporting them against most teams in the Premier League next season. Whenever I’ve seen them, they’ve been so entertaining! Oh, I suppose I’ve also let you down, Rob. But, I guess you’ve received enough emails from me in the past to know exactly how low I set the bar!”

You’ll always get a pass for your emails during the Euro 2016 semi-final.

8.13pm BST

42 min McLean drives a fine angled pass to Lewis, who moves it infield to Hernandez. He turns back onto his right foot and thwacks a fine shot that goes this far wide of the far post with Leutwiler beaten.

8.10pm BST

40 min Buendia, who looks desperate to score on today of all days, drags the ball cleverly past two defenders in the area before lashing a left-foot shot wide of the near post from a tight angle.

8.10pm BST

38 min “Morning Rob,” says Phil Withall. “I’m feeling somewhat conflicted at the moment. I’m loving the way Norwich are playing, the type of football they have served up this season has been exemplary. I also love the fact they are on the verge of winning the title. However, I find the whole concept of the Premier League repulsive. The way it has evolved into a monstrous, avaricious thing that is slowly destroying clubs in their attempts to reach it and the self-serving way it wilfully ignores the rest of football in pursuit of money just doesn’t sit well with me. I’ll enjoy this morning, if and when promotion is secured yet my jubilation will come with a major feeling of despair.”

Yeah, I know what you mean, and that’s without mentioning the inequality that makes it extremely difficult for promoted teams to finish in the top half of the Premier League, never mind achieve something memorable. Maybe promotion should be optional. No thanks, we’ll just keep enjoying life in the Championship.

8.06pm BST

36 min Buendia’s booming free-kick from the left nicks off the head of Travis and flashes just wide of the far post.

8.05pm BST

35 min Rodwell’s left-foot shot from 20 yards is blocked. Blackburn are playing well now. They were overwhelmed in the first 21 minutes, but that surprise goal from Lewis Travis has changed the mood of the game.

8.03pm BST

32 min Another reason to love Norwich: they have a lot of left-footed players. That always makes a team look more elegant. Well, it does if those players can pass the ball like Vrancic, Stiepermann, McLean and others. A team with 11 clones of Julian Dicks wouldn’t exactly be the poster boys for elegance.

8.01pm BST

29 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Congratulations to Norwich on their promotion to the Premiership, thoroughly deserved. As you know, I wouldn’t normally try to shoehorn a reference to my own team into an email, but Farke’s Norwich do remind me a bit of Dundee United, and one or two others. Provincial teams who have the odd great season, and occasionally get one over the big boys. Norwich and Raith Rovers spring to mind, whose fans I think will still have large canvases of the scoreboard at Bayern Munich in their living rooms ...”

I didn’t know Raith led at Bayern Munich. That’s great. Look at the team they were up against as well.

7.59pm BST

28 min Now Blackburn almost equalise! Armstrong runs at Lewis and curls a fantastic cross that somehow beats everyone in the six-yard box.

7.58pm BST

28 min “A push and a rush and the Premier League is Norwich’s!” says Matt Dony, who is so pleased with himself that I almost don’t have the heart to point out that it was ‘rush and a push’ rather than ‘push and a rush’.

7.58pm BST

27 min: Fine save by Leutwiler! This is great fun. Pukki gets round the back on the left and picks out Stiepermann, whose close-range shot is blocked by the legs of Leutwiler.

7.55pm BST

24 min “No Sky TV in my humble home, but do I care?” says Deborah Stolworthy. “No. Absolutely love to read your commentaries. You always say such kind words about the boys. OTBC!”

They make me do it. They’re the most charming, likeable team I’ve seen in many a year. I really hope they keep this team together.

7.54pm BST

Blackburn’s first attack of the match leads to a goal. Travis, found by Bell in space on the edge of the D, places a precise low shot into the bottom corner. It was hit so softly but it was accurate enough to beat the diving Krul to his left.

7.53pm BST

Seconds after Pukki somehow missed from six yards, Vrancic collected the ball 25 yards from goal. He had a look around, had another look, realised nobody was coming to challenge him and arrowed a spectacular rising drive into the far top corner. What a goal!

7.51pm BST

Pick that out!!

7.49pm BST

18 min Lenihan gets a yellow card, and it could have been worse. He miscontrolled the ball on the halfway line and was robbed by Pukki, who was about to surge through on goal when he was cynically tripped by Lenihan. You can see why Andy Madley didn’t send him off, because Williams was trying to get round to cover, but on balance I think that was a clear goalscoring opportunity and therefore should have been a red card.

7.46pm BST

16 min Buendia turns smartly and cracks a sweet shot just wide of the far post from 25 yards. He is a glorious footballer.

7.45pm BST

15 min Pukki appeals unsuccessfully for a penalty when his volley is blocked by the arm of Lenihan. That would probably have been given with VAR.

7.44pm BST

It’s a fine goal from Marco Stiepermann. Moments after Hernandez had a shot blocked after receiving a gorgeous pass from Buendia, Vrancic won possession and played the ball square to Stiepermann. He moved it onto his left foot and struck a low, left-footed drive from 25 yards that arrowed past the diving Leutwiler.

7.43pm BST

It’s been coming!

7.41pm BST

11 min I think Blackburn have had a kick, but I’d struggle to tell you much about it. It’s been so one-sided.

7.40pm BST

9 min Lewis moves down the left and slides a square pass to Hernandez, who pirouettes elegantly on the edge of the area and drives a low shot just wide of the far post.

7.39pm BST

8 min It’s a pleasure to watch this Norwich team. They pass the ball so smoothly, with lovely angles and movement off the ball. The big bad world of the Premier League will be an almighty test, but all right-thinking folk (who don’t support Ipswich) should wish them well.

7.37pm BST

6 min Norwich are playing some lovely stuff. Vrancic lifts a pass forward to Pukki, who chests it smartly into the path of Stiepermann. He moves onto the ball and sidefoots high and wide from 25 yards.

7.34pm BST

4 min Stipermann wins Norwich’s first corner, which is put behind for a second. Buendia’s inswinger is headed clear.

7.33pm BST

3 min Norwich have started confidently. Lewis’s sharp low cross is touched off by Pukki by Hernandez, who is crowded out in the area.

7.31pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Blackburn, in Cambridge blue and white halves, get the match under way. Norwich are in yellow and green.

7.30pm BST

There’s a heck of an atmosphere at Carrow Road. There’s yellow and green everywhere – flags, scarves, replica shirts, probably a bit of sick in the gents from someone who got carried away this afternoon.

7.12pm BST

It’s finished Sheffield United 2-0 Ipswich, so United will play Premier League football next season. Chapeau!

7.08pm BST

The chances of Norwich playing Brighton next season have just increased: Pascal Gross has equalised for Brighton at home to Newcastle.

7.07pm BST

Related: Brighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United: Premier League – live!

6.53pm BST

In reality, Norwich have already been promoted, such is their goal-difference advantage over Leeds. They’ll be joined in the Premier League by Sheffield United, who lead Ipswich with a few minutes remaining at Bramall Lane. That result means Norwich will start tonight’s match in second place, behind Sheffield United on goal difference.

6.32pm BST

Norwich City (4-2-3-1) Krul; Aarons, Zimmermann, Godfrey, Lewis; McLean, Vrancic; Buendia, Stiepermann, Hernandez; Pukki.
Substitutes: McGovern, Leitner, Rhodes, Klose, Tettey, Hanley, Cantwell.

Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1) Leutwiler; Bennett, Lenihan, Williams, Bell; Travis, Rodwell; Armstrong, Dack, Rothwell; Graham.
Substitutes: Raya, Nyambe, Chapman, Mulgrew, Brereton, Evans, Conway.

5.38pm BST

Evening. There’s a party in NR1 tonight, and we’re all bloody well invited. It’s taken a bit longer that expected, but tonight’s the night when Norwich City should formally secure promotion to the Premier League. All they need is a point at home to mid-table Blackburn Rovers, who are in excellent form but have nothing to play for except pride, and you know what Marsellus Wallace said about that.

Norwich won’t want to sneak over the line with a fifth consecutive draw, however. They have played such gorgeous football for most of the season that they will be desperate to put on one last show for their supporters. The talismanic Emi Buendia was suspended for the last two home games, those dramatic 2-2 draws against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday. With him back in the side, Norwich should be ready to party.

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