GRANT HOLT returned to the City line-up and notched his 24th goal of the season as City came from behind to win 2-1 away to Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon.
City trailed at the break to an Elliott Bennett free-kick and did not level until Holt struck in the 80th minute. Paul Lambert's league leaders then took the lead just four minutes later when Gary Doherty headed home the winner.
The result saw City extend their lead at the top of League One to four points after second-placed Leeds United were held to a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient.
After the match City boss Paul Lambert praised the battling spirit of his side.
"In the first half I think the game looked a bit too easy for us, we had a lot of the ball without really penetrating. Then we got caught on the free-kick which makes it even harder," Lambert told First News.
"What is said in the dressing room stays there but I thought the lads came out and responded brilliantly with a big, big effort and I'm delighted."
The returning Holt grabbed the all-important equaliser but the City boss was delighted with all of his attacking players efforts.
"When you take 23 goals out the team it's a big chunk but all the lads done great. We had Holt, Martin, McNamee, Johnson and Hoolahan up there at then end and it paid off - the lads have been great."
With City a goal behind going into the final ten minutes it was a brave decision from Lambert to withdraw defender Michael Nelson and go with three at the back but ultimately one that paid off.
"You've got to go on the front foot and you've got to win the game. You make decisions and hopefully more right ones than not but the lads deserve the credit."
Norwich's first chance of the afternoon fell to Chris Martin on the 16-minute mark. The in-form striker latched on to a ball from Simon Lappin and strode purposefully down the left flank before breaking into the box and dispatching a powerful low shot which was blocked by Kuipers in the Albion goal.
A minute later City had the ball in the net though Wes Hoolahan but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The visitors continued to create the better of the early openings and Holt almost marked his return to the side with a goal when he met a Michael Rose cross but headed wide from six yards out.
Against the run of play, Albion took the lead when Elliott Bennett struck home a free-kick from the angle of the area after Korey Smith had been pulled up for shirt pulling. Bennett's effort was hit low and crept past an unsighted Fraser Forster.
City almost engineered an equaliser after 33 minutes when Albion defender Tommy Elphick headed a Simon Lappin cross inches wide of his own goal.
The hosts should have doubled their lead 10 minutes before the break when Chris Holroyd pulled the ball back into the path of his strike partner Glenn Murray whose low shot was cleared off the line by the covering Nelson.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with City having the lion's share of the possession but unable to create any clear-cut chances.
City came close to an equaliser on 68 minutes when Hoolahan met Russell Martin's whipped cross at the near post but his header flew fractionally wide.
The woodwork denied City on 72 minutes when Chris Martin swivelled in the area and cracked a shot flush against the post.
Moments later and City were once again indebted to the man on the line, this time Lappin was in the right place at the right time to clear a Murray header as City almost paid the price for committing too many players forward in search of an equaliser.
Holt's leveller arrived ten minutes from time when Hoolahan broke into the box and pulled the ball back to sub Oli Johnson and after his effort was blocked, Holt was on hand to rifle home off the underside of the bar.
Things got even better for City four minutes later when Doherty headed home a deep free-kick from Darel Russell for what proved to be the winning goal.
90+3 - Leeds have bagged an injury time equaliser away to Leyton Orient.
90+2 - Andrew Crofts tries his luck from distance but well off target. Fraser Forster is booked for time wasting on taking the goal kick.
90+1 - Michael Spillane's first contribution is to head clear a dangerous free-kick, allowing Grant Holt to complete the job.
90th - A minimum of four minutes of time to be added on as City indulge in a spot of keep-ball.
85th - Gary Hart replaces Alan Navarro for Brighton and Michael Spillane comes on for Wes Hoolahan as City revert to a back four after the Nelson sub.
84th - There is the lead and it's Gary Doherty's 7th of the season. The Doc heads in Darel Russell's free-kick from the Calderon foul. Doherty rises highest to guide the free-kick into the far corner. Doherty prone on the floor is mobbed by his team-mates on the edge of the six-yard box.
83rd - Spanish right-back Inigo Calderon goes into the book.
82nd - City's attacking play reeping rewards and Johnson comes cloes to giving City the lead, teeing himself up for a volley inside the area. His effort whistles past the post with Kuipers rotted to the spot.
80th - Cometh the hour, returneth the man! Skipper Grant Holt is in the right place at the right time to drew City level at the Withdean! Hoolahan with the trickery on the left to get to the byeline and cuts it back for Johnson, but a good block denies him from close range but Holt is there to slam home the equaliser off the underside of the bar.
75th - Gary Dicker rolls the ball back to Bennett and his attempt is blocked for a corner. Bennett's corner is met by the head of Glenn Murray but Simon Lappin is there to clear off the line and Forster is well-placed to save the follow-up.
73rd - An attacking change, Oli Johnson comes on for Michael Nelson.
72nd - Post and wide! The ball breaks in the box after a long ball in and Chris Martin pounces, with an acrobatic attempt, which hits the post and wide.
70th - Simon Lappin is the first player into referee Dean Whitestone's notebook, perhaps as much for the reaction and chat than for the foul on Andrew Crofts in the middle of the park.
68th - Down in the near corner, Holt lays the ball off for Russell Martin to cross, which is met by the incoming Wes Hoolahan but into the near side-netting.
66th - Nelson has to stab a Seb Carole cross behind for a corner, bringing the home crowd to life. The attendance is 7,258 here this afternoon, which is Brighton's second highest of the season. Holt heads the corner half-clear and Russell Martin completes the job.
63rd - Paul Lambert responds instantly withdrawing Korey Smith for the more attack minded Anthony McNamee.
62nd - A double change by Gus Poyet, off come Kazenga LuaLua and Chris Holroyd, to be replaced by Gary Dicker and Sebastien Carole. Anthony McNamee is being readied on the far side for City.
61st - Fraser Forster does well to claim and keep hold a cross at the far post, under intense pressure.
57th - Holt's back on with a no named, no numbered shirt and straight into the action, winning a flick from a free-kick. Brighton are able to scramble clear.
56th - Lappin's cross is block and he'll get a second attempt from the corner, from the left. Swung out and Nelson wins the header but like a minute ago, over the bar. Holt is off receiving treatment for a facial injury, which is going to require a change of shirt.
54th - "
53rd - Free-kick to City for handball over the far side. Lappin to take, from the left, swinging away from goal, Nelson wins the header and puts it back across goal, where Doherty and Holt jump highest but combine to head over Kuipers' bar.
47th - City win a throw-in near the corner flag, which Michael Rose assumes responsibility of and launches into the area. Headed clear but Russell Martin stands waiting, adjusts his body position and strikes a half-volley, which whistles just wide of Kuipers' right-hand post.
46th - Brighton get us back underway with City kicking towards their own fans, even if they are a little set back from the pitch itself.
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Half-Time - City trail at the break 1-0. The last three of City's games have been won by the team who conceded first. City had a couple of good chances to open the scoring through Chris Martin and a Grant Holt header before Elliott Bennett gave Brighton the lead. The goal seemed to knock the proverbial stuffing out of City slightly and the last 15 of the half passed by without any note.
45th - Fourth official, Eric Mackrell - for he deserves a namecheck - holds up the board indicating a minute of added time to be played.
44th - Apologies for the lack of updates, the game has became a midfield battle, with no attacking play to comment on - exactly as the hosts would want it.
32nd - Michael Nelson comes to City's rescue with a goal line clearance. A little spin move and Holroyd is in behind, Forster comes to narrow the angle, but he rounds the big goalkeeper. With the angle too tight, he cuts it back for his strike partner Glenn Murray who looks to sidefoot home but Nelson had covered superbly to block on the slide on the line.
30th - Tommy Elphick looks to repeat his trick at Carrow Road earlier in the season when he scored an own goal. He stoops to head a Lappin cross behind for a corner, looked like it clipped the post on it's way out as way.
27th - City corner, Simon Lappin to take from the right. Inswinger, Adam Virgo heads up into the air and then again under pressure from his own man, Darel Russell coolly shifts it left to Holt who had peeled off. The striker's cross is claimed by Kuipers though.
26th - Goalscorer Bennett is late in on Hoolahan and receives a long talking to from referee Dean Whitestone but no card.
21st - Elliott Bennett gives the hosts a lead direct from the free-kick. Out wide, Bennett strikes a low drive, through a crowded penalty area, Chris Holroyd dummies it and the ball nestles in the bottom corner. Forster was unsighted through the crowd and also with so many bodies in front of him, the slightest touch would have changed the direction of the ball meaning he couldn't commit early.
19th - City with the narrow midfield, getting joy from the full-backs in advanced positions and Michael Rose is the architect. A superb left-footed cross with pace, which arrows towards Grant Holt, who heads wide, perhaps slightly behind him.
18th - Chris Martin tries his signature move again, on the left, cuts inside the full-back and shoots on his right foot but it's blocked by Tommy Elphick inside the box.
16th - City have a goal ruled out for offside. Chris Martin cuts inside onto his right and plays the ball across to Holt, up goes the assistant's flag. Holt then plays it back across for Hoolahan to tap in, who may have also been offside, but no goal. Free-kick to Brighton.
14th - City on the counter, Simon Lappin wins a great sliding tackle in centre midfield and feeds Chris Martin on the left. The young striker, opens his body and looks beat to Michel Kuipers low down but the Dutchman gets down well to smoother Martin's shot.
11th - LuaLua is given space and turns to run at Rose, pushes it past him and is away - Wes Hoolahan is back there to close him down on the byeline and the cross goes through to Forster to gather. LuaLua stays off the pitch to receive treatment, looks like he might have rolled his ankle. Is back on though now.
8th - LuaLua, a quick shimmer and floats in a deep cross, which Russell Martin, coolness personified, chests back to Forster.
6th - Chris Holroyd cuts inside onto his right foot and takes aim from distance, deflected and Forster scrambles to prevent a corner.
4th - Kazenga LuaLua uses his pace to good effect down the left, beating Martin but his low cross is turned behind by Gary Doherty. Elliott Bennett with the corner, headed high into the air and Forster comes to punch clear.
2nd - Glenn Murray is presented with an opportunity. Long ball over the top and he holds off Michael Nelson, but with the angle narrowing all the time, hits a half-volley wide of Fraser Forster's near post.
1st - We're underway, with City defending the goal in front of their fans. A big switch immediately sets up City, Darel Russell switches play to Russell Martin, whose head down puts Korey Smith in on the edge of the area but he lets the ball run and is robbed of possession.
The teams emerge from the corner and go through the usual pre-match handshakes. The stand of the far side - a temporary stand - is rather full today, a big attendance expected.
The City fans are away to our right, behind the goal, behind the running track. I had a quick look pre-match and the view of the far goal isn't great! I can't see them from my vantage point in the 'Commentary Box', which is a shed at the back of the stand. There are 894 fans - if memory serves - taking up the full allocation.
"My last game of the season for me as I go away on operations with the RAF for 4 months tomorrow. So I want the boys to give me a win. This should be a walk in the park rite? 3-0 win will do. OTBC!!!!" - panomania
BREAKING NEWS - The Club can confirm goalkeeping coach Paul Crichton is in the process of leaving the Club. Lawrence Batty, who worked under Paul Lambert at Wycombe Wanderers is deputising for the day.
Brighton give a debut to Newcastle United loanee Kazenga LuaLua - brother of Lomana Tresor - and Glenn Murray is recalled with Seb Carole and Liam Dickinson dropping to the bench. Leading goalscorer Nicky Forster is out of favour over contract disputes.
Hello and welcome from the Withdean Stadium. Manager Paul Lambert is without defenders Adam Drury, Jens Berthel Askou, Zak Whitbread and forwards Luke Daley and Cody McDonald through injury. Back from suspension is skipper Grant Holt who returns to the starting line-up to partner the in-form Chris Martin who has six goals in his last six games:
CITY: Forster, Nelson (Johnson 73), R.Martin, Holt (c), Doherty, Hoolahan (Spillane 86), C.Martin, Lappin, Russell, Rose, Smith (McNamee 63). Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Gill, Hughes, Dawkin.
Brighton: Kuipers, Elphick, Navarro (Hart 85), LuaLua (Dicker 62), Murray, Calderon, Crofts (c), Painter, Virgo, Bennett, Holroyd (Carole 62). Subs not used: Brezovan (GK), El-Abd, Dickinson, Hoyte.
Ref: Dean Whitestone
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