It had been five weeks since Norwich City last won a match – yet with all that has gone on in that space of time, it's probably no wonder it hasn't felt like it.
Not for the first time this season, the Canaries showed they could tick along in a middle gear and take three points off their Carrow Road visitors.
And much like against Blackburn the previous weekend, they had to do it against the backdrop of a passive atmosphere, brought about entirely by City's stalled promotion bid.
'It doesn't feel like that long since we've won but it's obviously nice we've managed to get one and hopefully we can keep that going more times than not, from now until the end of the season and we'll see what happens,' said City midfielder Jonny Howson.
'The atmosphere hasn't been too bad. As players we go out there and we've still got a job to do, we've still got roles to take up. On that aspect, it's just when you sometimes do get a bouncing atmosphere and things are going well, it can give you that lift.
'But as footballers you've got to be able to keep going through difficult times, similar to how it has been over the past few weeks and it shows the character, that we've managed to grind through and now it's keeping it going.'
That mind set may have to be relied on for a little bit longer.
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With the hunt for a new sporting director taking precedence and the hope it will be completed before the end of the international break, caretaker boss Alan Irvine could still be in charge when City head to Villa Park on April 1 as they look to recruit their new head coach.
'Al was here with Alex Neil, so it's just a case that he's in charge at this minute in time and he's been in control,' added Howson.
'He's aware of how it was as a coach so he's just carried on the same. Nothing's changed much.
'Our job as players is to concentrate on ourselves and as a team. We can't affect the other things. Whether the appointment is made soon or not, the bottom line is we've got to keep going out there whenever it may be, giving everything we've got under the guidance of whoever is in charge and we'll see what happens.
'It's out of our hands and irrespective of who's in charge, as a team and the staff that's here at the minute, we've still got something to play for.'
• Follow Michael Bailey on Twitter @michaeljbailey and Facebook @mbjourno
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