Jerome hits treble as Norwich ease to friendly win

Cameron Jerome's first-half hat-trick helped Norwich City to a convincing 7-0 victory at ninth-tier Gorleston on Saturday. 

In Norwich's first friendly since gaining promotion back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs, Jerome was on target three times inside the opening 31 minutes, with Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe and Tony Andreu also on the scoresheet prior to half-time.

Jonny Howson and Lewis Grabban added further gloss to a routine victory in the second half, with boss Alex Neil able to offer run-outs to much of his first-team squad.

Jerome was one of the more experienced players to start the friendly at Emerald Park and was on target after just four minutes when he finished Graham Dorrans' pull-back.

A long-range finish from the former Stoke City striker doubled the advantage soon after - Elliott Bennett with the assist - before Andreu scored his first goal of the club since moving from Hamilton Academical in February.

The visitors continued to dominate as Jerome wrapped up his hat-trick shortly after the half-hour mark with Dorrans - whose loan move from West Brom was made permanent during the close-season - laid on the fifth for Belgian midfielder Odjidja-Ofoe.

It stayed that way until the break, with the hosts able to shut out a much-changed Norwich XI until the 69-minute mark when Grabban finished Jacob Murphy's cross.

Howson capped off the friendly win with a long-range strike into the top corner as Neil's men now look to a clash with another non-League side Hitchin Town on Tuesday.