A five-star first half performance was enough to ensure Norwich City’s safe passage through to the second round of the Carling Cup against Barnet.

A five-star first half performance was enough to ensure Norwich City's safe passage through to the second round of the Carling Cup against Barnet.

City eventually ran out 5-2 winners after leading 5-0 at half-time but manager Peter Grant will be worried at the way his side fell away in the second half.

However, Jamie Cureton set the ball rolling in only the third minute when Jon Otsemobor crossed for the striker to volley home from 12 yards.

The former Colchester man soon had his second when Lee Croft hit a shot across the face of the goal which found its way to Cureton who bagged his second goal of the evening from close range.

The goal of the night came from Simon Lappin when the Scot picked the ball up on the left and unleashed a 25-yard thunderbolt into the top corner giving Bees keeper Lee Harrison no chance.

Fellow Scot Mark Fotheringham then got in on the act in the 25th minute when Jason Shackell's header was cleared off the line before the ball fell to the 23-year-old, who drilled a low shot home from the edge of the box.

On the half hour mark Darel Russell got his first goal for the club upon his return when Harrison could only parry Cureton's low shot leaving the former Stoke man to sweep home.

The Canaries then completely lost their way in the second half and allowed Barnet to come back into the contest. The Bees kept plugging away and got their reward in the in the 65th minute when Jason Puncheon pulled one back with a low shot from the edge of the box.

Barnet then got a second through Adam Birchall when the striker's jinky run saw him ghost past Doherty before firing home past Marshall.

Any hope of a memorable comeback was extinguished when midfielder Neal Bishop was given a straight red card for an elbow on Mark Fotheringham.