CITY were dumped out of the FA Cup by managerless League Two side Bury in a tense third round replay at Gigg Lane.

The Canaries were off-colour in the first half and deservedly trailed to Ben Futcher's strike in the 18th minute.

They improved considerably after the break - but the scoreline worsened as Bury stretched their lead to 2-0 through Andy Bishop, scorer of the goal at Carrow Road which earned Bury this replay.

Once again Norwich were left to rue missed chances, with only substitute Dion Dublin's scrambled 85th minute effort successful for all that the Canaries had registered eight shots on target to Bury's three.

But although that goal from Dublin ensured a frantic finale to the match, Bury caretaker boss Chris Brass and his side held on to gain the fourth round tie at Southampton their more clinical finishing in both ties earned them.

City boss Glenn Roeder made five changes from the team which started in Saturday's excellent 3-1 Championship win over Barnsley.

Into the starting line-up came Darren Huckerby, Jamie Cureton, Ryan Jarvis, Matty Pattison and Michael Spillane. The players to make way included three who moved to the subs bench in the shape of Mo Camara, Lee Croft and Dion Dublin - while Jon Otsemobor was rested with a tight achilles and Ched Evans was ineligible for this match due to the date he was re-signed on loan from Manchester City.

Saints boss George Burley was at the game, with his side set to meet the winners of tonight's tie in the fourth round at St Mary's.

The Canaries started well and forced a corner in the second minute - Russell getting under Fotheringham's flag-kick and sending a header looping on to the roof of the Bury net.

City spent the first five minutes knocking the ball around nicely and retaining possession comfortably on a Gigg Lane pitch looking ok after this afternoon's inspection due to rain.

But not much by way of serious threat had been offered so far - and a warning as to the perils of complacency came in the 12th minute when only a late flag for offside thwarted Baker as he raced clear into the City box.

The home side went closer still in the 17th minute. Adams broke free on the left and whipped in a great low cross which eluded the diving Doherty and fell to Bishop - scorer of Bury's goal at Carrow Road. This time however the Bury striker made a mess of his close-range effort which was spooned into the air, with Marshall punching the rebound clear.

Norwich had been guilty of a bit of over-elaboration to date - and on 18 minutes they were made to pay as the Shakers took a shock lead.

The goal came in slightly controversial fashion as Doherty crashed to the ground injured as he attempted to clear a cross into the box from Buchanan, but with City players perhaps hoping referee Colin Webster might halt proceedings no whistle came - and after a scamble Ben Futcher gleefully fired home from eight yards.

With Huckerby having operated mostly behind Cureton and Jarvis to date, he switched after 25 minutes to a more orthodox role on the left of a three-man attack.

But it was Bury who carved out the game's next opportunity, Stephens splitting the City defence with an excellent pass through to Bishop only for Bertrand to recover brilliantly to slide in and deny the Bury front man.

As the game approached the half-hour the Canaries at last put a good move together, Spillane chasing a ball to the bye-line well before cutting the ball back to Russell from the right. Unfortunately the City midfielder's first-time effort from 16 yards cannoned off the legs of a defender and away to safety.

Two minutes later a low driven pass from Fotheringham was dummied well by Russell allowing Jarvis to collect and turn on the edge of the box  - only to drag a tame effort well wide of the far post.

Bury retained the capacity to offer more danger however and Bishop was only inches away from connecting with a lovely cross on the run from Baker in the 37th minute.

Four minutes later Bertrand again came to City's rescue, timing his sliding, saving tackle on Nicky Adams to perfection to not only block his cross but also win a goal-kick.

Norwich were no longer retaining possession as comfortably as had been the case in the early exchanges - and as the minutes ticked towards half-time you sensed the break could not come soon enough for a City side urgently in need of fresh impetus and an improved performance in the second period.

Half-time: Bury 1, Norwich City 0

Roeder made one change at half-time, Ryan Jarvis making way up front for Dion Dublin who scored City's third at Barnsley on Saturday.

Dublin almost made an immediate impact just five minutes into the half, chesting on Spillane's ball into the path of Cureton only for City's top scorer to be denied by a good save from Provett in a one-on-one.

It was Norwich's best chance of the match so far and they needed more of the same to force their way back into the tie.

Another good chance came in the 53rd minute as Bertrand darted on a lightning-quick run into the box only to stumble at the crucial moment after playing a swift one-two with Dublin.

In the 55th minute City made another change, Lee Croft coming on for Pattison.

Within a minute they were pressurising the Bury goal again, Shackell's downward header from Spillane's free-kick well saved by Provett as it bounced down and goalwards.

Spillane himself had a go in the next Norwich attack as he elected to side-foot a first-time shot after racing on to Croft's pass across the edge of the box - but the effort lacked power and was comfortably collected by Provett.

However on the hour Norwich's improved performance after the break was blown away as Andy Bishop netted his second goal in consecutive games against the Canaries and made it 2-0 to Bury.

It came from a very swift counter-attack down Bury's left which saw Nicky Adams thread a precise pass through the Norwich ranks and allow Bishop to advance on Marshall before netting with a neat, angled shot low into the far corner from 12 yards.

It was a bit harsh on a City side that had shown more directness and purpose in the minutes since the break - but it was a well-taken goal by a Bury team which to date had provided more threat in front of goal.

Norwich made their final change on 66 minutes as Mo Camara came on for Darren Huckerby.

The Bury fans were baying for a red card in the 73rd minute after a crunching tackle from Russell on Nicky Adams in front of the dugouts - but referee Colin Webster instead produced the game's first yellow card.

The Shakers thought they had gained the ultimate punishment for the infringement 60 seconds later as Baker whipped in a great free-kick which Futcher slid home at the far post, but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside.

As the game entered the final ten minutes a superb save from Provett denied Jamie Cureton a great goal as the City top scorer swivelled and fired a low volley from Croft's centre, only for the home 'keeper to palm it away.

Another yellow card followed, this time Gary Doherty the offender, holding back Bishop as the scorer of Bury's second goal threatened to beat the Norwich back line as the Shakers countered.

Then there was drama on 85 minutes as first Norwich squandered a wonderful chance to score - and then they did.

First gritty work from Spillane set up Russell and when Provett could only parry his 20-yard effort Croft seemed certain smash home the rebound at the far post, but instead blazed against the post for the second time in four days with the goal gaping.

But Croft's blushes were spared as City duly grabbed a lifeline with their next attack.

It came as Croft lifted a great cross to the back post and Bertrand headed back across the goal - and there was Dion Dublin sliding in bravely to bundle the ball just across the line despite the frantic efforts of Provett and his defenders.

It wasn't pretty but that didn't matter one bit to the 806 Norwich fans at the other end who at last had something to cheer after a long trip from Norfolk.

As injury time ticked away Bury wasted precious seconds by bringing on Anane for Buchanan - and the sub nearly set the seal on things as he fired wide from 25 yards.

At the other end City's desperate last throw of the dice was a whisker away from taking the match into extra time as Russell headed Croft's cross towards the far post and Gary Doherty slid in bravely towards the upright - but just failed to connect.

It was to prove the last action of the game as Mr Webster's whistle sent the home sections of Gigg Lane into raptures.

Final score: Bury 2, Norwich City 1

BURY: Provett, Scott (c), Woodthorpe, Futcher, Haslam, Baker, Bishop, Barry-Murphy (Dorney 83), Buchanan (Anane 90), Adams, Stephens. Subs not used: Hurst, Parrish, Rouse.

NORWICH CITY: Marshall, Shackell, Huckerby (Camara 66), Cureton, Fotheringham (c), Russell, Bertrand, Jarvis (Dublin45), Pattison (Croft 55), Doherty, Spillane. Subs not used: Gilks, Cave-Brown.