Kenny McLean scored his second goal of the season to send Norwich City into the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Scottish international produced a superb flicked header to give the Canaries the lead before the break which the team then hung onto in the second half with a resolute defensive performance.

Norwich made five changes from the side that had beaten Watford in the Premier League last time out as Michael McGovern, Sam Byram, Billy Gilmour, Przemysław Płacheta and McLean came into the side. There was also a place on the bench for Mathias Normann, who has been out since mid-November through injury.

In what was a first half of few chances, it was the Canaries who had all the efforts on target with McGovern not forced to make a stop in the opening 45 minutes.

Norwich’s first chance came after 15 minutes when Milot Rashica fed a pass into Adam Idah, who raced through on goal before bringing a good save out of John Ruddy.

Idah then turned provider a minute later as he picked up the ball out wide, but his low cross into the area was behind the run of Rashica and the home side cleared. At the other end Wolves were struggling to create anything of note with only a Fábio Silva deflected shot and a wayward strike from Ruben Néves threatening the visitors goal.

Then as the half drew to a close Rashica fed Idah again to give the Irish striker a sight of goal, but after some neat footwork on the edge of the box he fired an effort straight at Ruddy.

The second half started with Wolves on the front foot as Leander Dendoncker fizzed a cross into the box but there was no home player there to attack the ball.

Rashica then cut in from the left and let fly with a shot from distance but it was high and wide of Ruddy's goal. However, it was Wolverhampton who had three chances in quick succession to equalise around the 55th minute mark.

First Daniel Podence controlled a Semedo cross into the box and then sent a shot off the inside of the post and into the arms of McGovern. Then Semedo sent a shot straight at McGovern before Néves played in Podence whose shot was blocked by Hanley.

Wolves then brought on Raúl Jiménez for Gomes and switched to a 4-3-3 formation. Minutes later Dean Smith made a double change bringing on Normann for McLean and Teemu Pukki for Idah.

Norwich then had a great chance to grab a second on 75 minutes as Płacheta played a perfectly-timed ball into Rashica but Semedo made superbly-timed interception to deny the Kosovan a shot at goal.

The Canaries then had to soak up a lot of pressure but had another chance to grab a second on 86 minutes when substitute Kieran Dowell played a neat one-two with Pukki before bringing a world-class save out of Ruddy.

In truth it did not matter as Wolves only had a wayward shot from Neves in the minutes that remained as Norwich held on for a fourth win from the last five games in all competitions.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ruddy; Kilman, Coady, Gomes (Jiménez, 64); Nélson Semedo, Dendoncker, Neves, João Moutinho, Aït Nouri; Fábio Silva, Podence.

Subs not used: Sá, Hoever, Marçal, Tomás Oliveira, Cundle, Campbell.

Norwich City: McGovern; Byram, Gibson, Hanley, Williams; Gilmour (Dowell, 71), Lees-Melou, McLean (Normann, 66); Płacheta, Idah (Pukki, 66), Rashica (Rowe, 81).

Subs not used: Gunn, McCracken, Aarons, Tzolis, Giannoulis.

Goals: McLean (44)

Bookings: Hanley (15), Lees-Melou (28), McLean (50), Williams (78), Normann (80).

HT: 0-1