Cardiff fight back to beat Norwich in the Championship

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City's Souleymane Bamba in action with Norwich City's Nelson Oliveira Action Images/Peter Cziborra

LONDON (Reuters) - Cardiff City moved to within a point of leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers in England's second-tier Championship after they fought back from a goal down to beat Norwich City 3-1 at home on Friday.

Cardiff trailed to a thunderous effort from Marco Stiepermann at the break but turned the match around in the second half with a penalty from Joe Ralls and further goals from Junior Hoilett and Omar Bogle.

The win moved Cardiff up to 43 points, with Wolves visiting Birmingham City on Monday, while Aston Villa missed the chance to go third after a 1-1 draw at Leeds United.

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Norwich's Marco Stiepermann celebrates after scoring their first goal with a deflected shot that hit Cardiff's Sean Morrison Action Images/Andrew Boyers

Cardiff had looked in trouble at halftime following Stiepermann's effort from distance but whatever manager Neil Warnock said in the halftime interval produced a stirring reaction after the break.

Ralls, who also missed a penalty later in the game, levelled from the spot four minutes into the second half after Ivo Pinto was penalised for a shove in the box.

A looping finish from Hoilett then put them ahead with 25 minutes remaining and Bogle finished a cross from close range to wrap up victory on Warnock's 69th birthday, leaving Norwich winless in eight games.

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff's Sean Morrison in action with Norwich's Nelson Oliveira Action Images/Andrew Boyers

Leeds went ahead when Pontus Jansson headed in at the near post after 19 minutes but Villa found a route back into the match after 71 when Henri Lansbury fired low into the net.

(Reporting by Toby Davis; Editing by Clare Fallon)

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City's Joe Ralls scores their first goal from the penalty spot Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Norwich City's Marco Stiepermann celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City's Callum Paterson in action with Norwich City's Timm Klose Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff's Danny Ward in action with Norwich's Grant Hanley Action Images/Andrew Boyers

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City's Sean Morrison in action with Norwich City's Nelson Oliveira Action Images/Peter Cziborra

Soccer Football - Championship - Cardiff City vs Norwich City - Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Britain - December 1, 2017 Cardiff City's Joe Bennett in action with Norwich City's Wesley Hoolahan and Ivo Pinto Action Images/Peter Cziborra