CITY face a nerve-jangling must-win game against QPR next Saturday after losing a thrilling and at times controversial encounter 2-1 to league leaders West Bromwich Albion at Carrow Road.

A horrific start saw them trailing with barely a minute gone after Robert Koren bundled home from close range after robbing the ball from the hands of David Marshall as he scrabbled to collect a Kevin Phillips effort.

The Canaries rallied well and stood toe-to-toe with the Baggies for the remainder of the match but were further pegged back when Gera extended the visitors' lead in the 72nd minute with a well-placed effort. Although Ched Evans almost immediately fired City back into contention from the penalty spot just over a minute later, West Brom held on for a win which does them a power of good and City no favours.

City boss Glenn Roeder rang the changes for the visit of table-topping West Brom following last Sunday's disappointing showing in the derby at Ipswich.

After fielding all three of his main striking options at Portman Road, Roeder opted this time to keep a forward on the bench, veteran Dion Dublin starting as a sub and Jamie Cureton and Ched Evans leading the Canaries' line in a conventional 4-4-2 formation.

There were two changes in defence, with Jason Shackell coming in for Alex Pearce and Mo Camara starting in place of the injured Ryan Bertrand.

Skipper Mark Fotheringham returned in the centre of midfield after missing the derby with a neck injury and lined up with young on-loan Arsenal midfielder Kieran Gibbs, Darel Russell starting the game on the bench.

But all the pre-match preparations failed to stop City getting off to a nightmare start as the Baggies swept into the lead with barely a minute of the game gone.

The goal wasn't without a touch of controversy, but Norwich will still feel they should have dealt with the situation a lot better. A swift break seemed to catch the City defence back-pedalling and Phillips found time to twist and turn in the box before hitting a low shot goalwards.

Although Marshall saved his effort it was at full stretch and he struggled to bring the ball under control. Many felt he did however have the ball under control before Roman Bednar stuck a boot in and robbed him of the ball. Robert Koren then took a touch wide before calmly stroking home into the empty net.

City were nearly two down a few minutes later as Zoltan Gera carved through the City rearguard before prodding a low shot just wide of the post.

All in all a very poor start from the Canaries, but they at last showed signs of weathering the storm and in the ninth minute a good move ended with Kiely forced to palm a curling cross from Huckerby over the bar for a corner.

Huckerby actually had the ball in the visitors' net three minutes later as he latched on to a lovely flick from Fotheringham before crashing an 18-yard drive into the far corner. But the eruption from the Barclay faithful was cut short by the assistant referee, correctly flagging for offside against the City winger.

City continued to show improved fighting spirit and in the space of a couple of minutes Mark Fotheringham earned the approval of the City fans with two sweet passes and then a crunching challenge on Greening which earned him a word in the ear from referee Iain Williamson.

In the 21st minute a Norwich free-kick for a foul by Greening on Huckerby ended with Cureton have two shots from the edge of the area blocked as Roeder's men continued their fighting response to West Brom's flying start.

Pattison had a half-chance four minutes later, picking up the pieces after Huckerby's jinking run was blocked but hitting a 25-yard shot well over the crossbar.

But the Baggies still had plenty of threat on the break and the Canaries were let off the hook in the 31st minute as the visitors really should have extended their lead.

Roman Bednar drifted wide on the left before hitting what looked to be a weak cross-shot rather than a pass - but it still fell to Kevin Phillips just five yards out and a second goal for West Brom seemed a certainty. Somehow however with only Marshall to beat, the experienced forward made a complete hash of his shot and it bobbled well wide.

David Marshall pulled off a good diving parry to keep out Bednar's 12-yard shot six minutes later after good work on the West Brom right from Gera.

For all their industry City simply were not posing the same threat that West Brom seemed to be every time they swept forward. In the 42nd minute a handball from Doherty gave Phillips the chance to try his luck with a 20-yard free-kick, which Marshall dived to claim after it fizzed under the Norwich wall.

With two minutes to go until the break Paul Robinson earned the game's first yellow card for sending Huckerby crashing to the deck.

And on the stroke of half-time the Canaries had a golden opportunity to claw their way back to level terms. It came after a good move down City's left saw Cureton's pass send Gibbs in behind the defence. His initial cut-back was blocked by the sliding form of Gera - loud appeals for a handball falling on deaf ears - and his cross from the rebound was volleyed agonisingly wide at the far post by Huckerby.

The Baggies' desperate defending to keep Norwich out proved costly for Robinson, who left the pitch with blood pouring from a nasty-looking cut to the head.

Half-time: City 0, West Brom 1

Both sides were unchanged as the second half kicked off - and City carved out two good chances to score within the opening couple of minutes.

First Cureton's angled shot was blocked by Greening after a good ball from Huckerby on the right - then the Norwich top scorer went closer still as he raced on to a huge goal-kick from Marshall and hit a neat lob over Kiely which dropped on to the roof of the net.

In a pulsating start to the half  West Brom were then a whisker away from extending their lead as Gera's 25-yard thunderbolt was tipped on to the bar by Marshall. As the ball bounced down Marshall showed good reactions to dive at the feet of Morrison to claim the ball as he threatened to bundle the rebound home.

In the 54th minute a near-post cross from Otsemobor was met with a glancing header from Cureton - but Kiely was equal to the task and dived to his right to claim comfortably.

And Cureton missed yet another excellent opportunity three minutes later. It came when Evans rose superbly to flick Shackell's header into his strike partner's path, but after a decent first touch Cureton blasted a wayward shot well wide from 16 yards.

In the 63rd minute Cureton's involvement came to an end as he was replaced by Dion Dublin. Baggies boss Mowbray responded with a double change, Bednar replaced by Ishmael Miller and Luke Moore on for Phillips. A few minutes later he made his final change, Martin Albrechtsen coming on for Robinson.

Albrechtsen was to make an immediate impact, unfortunately for City. His deep ball into the City box on 72 minutes should have been comfortably cleared but Shackell's header fell straight to Gera - and he volleyed home into the far corner in style from 22 yards.

It was a hammer blow for City - but they were thrown a lifeline just over a minute later. As Dublin and Leon Barnett contested a high ball into the West Brom box the ball bounced up and appeared to strike the defender on the hand. Referee Williamson waved play-on to the disgust of the home fans - but his assistant referee eventually caught his attention with his waving flag and a spot kick was duly awarded.

Up stepped Ched Evans - and the young striker calmly sent Kiely the wrong way to fire Norwich back into the game with a low effort into the right-hand corner.

Ched Evans after scoring penalty

Game on. With 15 minutes to go Roeder made his next change, Luke Chadwick making a welcome return from injury in place of Gibbs. A spell of high tension but no clear-cut chances followed and with six minutes of normal time remaining Roeder made his last throw of the dice, Darel Russell coming on for Mo Camara.

Time was running out for City who had stood toe to toe with the Baggies throughout an action-packed second half - but had failed to pierce a resolute West Brom defence.

It looked all over as Miller swept home Morrison's pass in the 89th minute - but once again the assistant referee's flag was correctly raised to cancel out the effort.

Five minutes of injury time were signalled offering renewed hope to the Canaries. But despite some frantic pressure as City piled forward there was to be no last-gasp dramatics and West Brom held on for a win which leaves them with one foot in the Premiership - and Norwich with it all to do in next week's crunch game against QPR.

Final score: City 1, West Brom 2

NORWICH CITY: Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell, Huckerby, Cureton (Dublin 63), Fotheringham, Camara (Russell 84), Gibbs (Chadwick 75), Pattison, Doherty, Evans. Subs not used: Velasco, Pearce.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION: Kiely, Hoefkens, Robinson (Albrechtsen 68), Barnett, Clement, Koren, Greening (C), Bednar (Miller 65), Gera, Phillips (Moore 65), Morrison. Subs not used: Danek, Brunt