Saints' losing start to the season continued as they slumped 2-1 at Norwich.

George Burley's team were well on top in the first half and deservedly took the lead through Kenwyne Jones.

However, they couldn't convert their other chances and it was a different story in the second half.

Norwich pushed forward, the Saints backline again creaked and Jamie Cureton fired in two goals to give the Carrow Road team the win and leave Saints with three defeats from three this season and still searching for their first point of the campaign.

Grzegorz Rasiak was the first to have an effort, two minutes into the game, when he brought the ball down on his chest and tried an ambitious half volley from distance with the edge of his boot that dipped wide of the post.

But it was Norwich who probably should have taken the lead on seven minutes.

Simon Lappin whipped in a cross from the left and Gary Doherty got free of Wayne Thomas at the far post.

The Norwich centre half slid in to meet the ball unchallenged but directed his effort onto the bar and Saints were able to clear.

Jones had his first chance two minutes later but steered his header from Jermaine Wright's cross straight at David Marshall.

It took until 20 minutes for the next chance which was again Saints' - though courtesy of Norwich.

Rudi Skacel whipped in a free kick which Marshall didn't properly deal with, Jason Shackell got a head to the ball but turned it towards his own goal where Slappin was on hand to get it off the line.

Youssef Safri, on his return to his old club, was the first player in the book for several fouls.

Jhon Viafara threatened a minute later when he worked himself a yard of space in the area but dragged his shot into the side netting.

Shackell was the next player booked after a foul on Jones.

Nathan Dyer found himself with a half chance on 33 minutes as the ball broke to him in the area but he wanted to take a touch rather than hit it first time and Norwich got a challenge in and got it away.

Jones produced the best moment of the half on 36 minutes when he used his strength and power to shrug off three players to get through on goal but his low shot was half saved by the keeper and then hacked off the line.

But there was no stopping Jones just seconds later as he converted from the corner.

Safri whipped in the ball, the keeper punched but only to Jones who quickly turned, jinked inside Gary Doherty and drilled a low shot into the near bottom corner for 1-0.

As the half wore to a close it will still Saints on top and piling on the pressure in search of a second.

Skacel was teed up by Rasiak in the area but saw his shot blocked by a combination of the sliding Doherty and diving Marshall.

At half-time it may have only been a one-goal lead but encouragingly a far more convincing performance from Burley's side.

Norwich made a change at the break with Julien Brellier replaced by Mark Fotheringham.

Viafara had an early half-chance when Marshall's low clearance fell to him but his sharp first-time effort wasn't clean and didn't threaten.

The first good opportunity of the second period fell to Rasiak five minutes in when he fired across goal from eight yards but Marshall did very well to save with a strong right hand and turn it away from danger.

But Marshall's next save owed a lot more to luck than judgement.

On 55 minutes Andrew Surman hit a shot from the edge of the area that should have been comfortable for the keeper but the ball squirmed out of his grasp and trickled towards the line.

Marshall dived to grab the ball and haul it back.

Saints appealed it had crossed the line but the referee and linesman decided it didn't.

But, shortly after, the scores were level.

On 62 minutes Saints had to defend an indirect free kick on the right edge of their own six-yard box after the referee adjudged Makin, trying to shield the ball, had passed back from close range to Kelvin Davis who slid in to grab it.

The ball was rolled back to Cureton who was not closed down quickly enough and rifled his effort above everybody's heads and into the top corner to make it 1-1.

Cureton almost grabbed another two minutes later but his deflected shot in the area was superbly saved by Davis.

Norwich were piling on the pressure and Davis had to make another good save from Fotheringham's free kick.

Burley made his first change on 66 minutes with Marek Saganowski coming on for Rasiak.

The warning signs had been there and sure enough on 71 minutes Cureton fired Norwich into the lead.

Lee Croft crossed from the right, Cureton pulled off of Jermaine Wright and Chris Makin, controlled on his chest and fired a volley goalwards that Davis could get hands to but not keep out and it was 2-1.

Burley reacted immediately by bringing on Adam Hammill for Dyer.

Norwich boss Peter Grant was forced into another change when second-half sub Fotheringham was forced off through injury and was replaced by Luke Chadwick.

They followed that with their final change a minute later with David Strihavka coming on for Cureton.

Burley did likewise on 86 minutes with Bradley Wright-Phillips replacing Surman. Saints were pushing forward but struggling to create any chances, Wright-Phillips trying his luck with a run and shot from distance that sailed over the bar.

And that was how it stayed until the final whistle as Norwich played out the time until their win with a great degree of comfort.

For Burley it leaves plenty more problems to solve for the tricky visit of Stoke to St Mary's next weekend when Saints really need to get their first win on the board.

See Monday's Daily Echo for reaction to Saints' defeat.