ALEX Pearce reflected on an outstanding debut for the Canaries, but stressed: "It's only one game".

The on-loan Reading defender was a rock at the back alongside Gary Doherty, with the clean sheet ensuring Jamie Cureton's blockbuster was enough to beat Barnsley at Carrow Road.

It was 19-year-old Pearce's first taste of Championship football, but he slotted into the back four with total ease and never put a foot wrong against Simon Davey's FA Cup heroes all afternoon.

"It's a nice start for me, but the main thing I wanted was a win and to have a clean sheet with it as well was a bonus," Pearce told CanariesWorld. "It was good to get off to a good start, but I need to carry that on now. Carry it on into next week if I get selected and put in another good performance and hopefully kick on from there."

Up until the match with the Tykes, Pearce was the only one of boss Glenn Roeder's loan players not to have been given a chance to shine in the first team. But the Scottish youth international said remaining patient had not been a problem, especially with the defence playing so well - up until the 4-0 loss to Leicester last week.

"Not really, because the team has been doing well," said Pearce, when asked if he's been getting itchy feet on the bench. "As a player you want to be playing, and I always believed in myself that I could do a job. But it's only one game and I've got to keep going and I'll hopefully do a good job for this team."

Roeder too was delighted with Pearce's contribution to a victory which moves the Canaries into 12^th place in the Championship table.

"That's what I've seen in training every day," said the Norwich manager. "You don't like to say too much before they make their debut but what you saw him do today is what he does every day in training and that's the sort of competition for places we need.

"Jason Shackell has done very well but I thought after last week I'd give him a rest and give Alex an opportunity and I'd have to say Alex has taken it with both hands."

It needed all of Pearce's defensive resolve to ensure City grabbed all three points off a Barnsley side which shook Anfield with a 2-1 FA Cup win at Liverpool last weekend.

Norwich, who were without suspended trip Mark Fotheringham, Dion Dublin and Darel Russell, had to fight at times, and Pearce said it had not been easy work.

""We had to dig in, especially in the second half when there were a lot of aerial balls and we did have some players missing in midfield," he said, who also had words of praise for the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Matty Pattison. "I thought the lads that were in there did a fantastic job and I didn't think we missed them that much that it was obvious. Hopefully we can kick on now."

City's players now embark on a three-day training camp in Spain - a reward from boss Roeder for a run which has seen them lose just once in 15 games. And Pearce believed it would be good to get away for a few days.

"Definitely. It's always nice to get away - especially to Spain. It's a bit of team bonding and we can build on the team spirit we've already got in abundance at this Club."