LEAGUE leaders City finally lost their amazing home winning streak when Southampton - aided by a hugely controversial red card for midfielder Darel Russell in the second half - claimed the points courtesy of a brace for Lee Barnard.
Southampton were the stronger side in the first half and took the lead on 32 minutes, albeit amidst huge protests from the City players.
Prolific front man Lambert slammed a superb 30-yard free-kick against Fraser Forster's crossbar and when the ball bounced down Barnard climbed above Michael Nelson to head home into the empty net. Referee Russell Booth was unmoved by strenuous City claims that Barnard had shoved Nelson in the back prior to scoring.
City emerged in better shape after the break and were twice denied by former Ipswich stopper Kelvin Davis early in the half as he first dived low to his left to keep out Nelson's low shot from the edge of the box and then acrobatically tipped Korey Smith's stinging drive on to the bar.
In the 64th minute the entire complexion of the game was changed by a hugely controversial decision from referee Booth. As Darel Russell challenged for a high ball with Morgan Schneiderlin there may have been a suspicion of a slightly high foot from the City midfielder but meriting no more than a free kick at most in the eyes of the City players and fans.
Mr Booth however must have seen something else as he stunned a packed Carrow Road by producing a straight red card for the Norwich midfielder.
It was a hammer-blow for a City team beginning to show signs of putting the visitors under real pressure and although the crowd roared on the ten Canaries remaining on the pitch, there were naturally gaps for Southampton's dangerous strikeforce to exploit.
With Nelson withdrawn and Anthony McNamee thrown into the fray, City were at full-stretch as Adam Lallana struck the same post twice in the space of two minutes and then conceded a second goal in the 77th minute as Barnard swept home his second of the match.
After the game Paul Lambert refused to blame the red card decision for his side's defeat - but said it was 'very likely' the Club would appeal against Russell's dismissal.
"We never reached the levels we've been achieving for the last four or five months, and when you don't play to those levels against a good side like Southampton then that's what can happen," he told First News. "We just fell short today.
"You've got to be honest with yourselves and the people who have come to watch the game, we didn't deserve anything today. But we're still top of the league and if you'd offered me that three games into the season I would have taken it."
On the red card he said: "From my angle Darel Russell can't see the lad coming in from behind him. I just thought it was bizarre, a really poor decision. If I look at it again and it looks the same again the I will definitely appeal that. I think it's very likely that we will appeal it.
"Russell just couldn't see him. It's an impossibility to see what's over your shoulder when you're just trying to keep the ball in play."
Lambert said the squad would be looking to bounce back against Southend at Carrow Road on Tuesday night (7.45pm): "We're top of the league and it's a good feeling - we'll be doing everything we can to maintain that.
"One thing's for sure we'll have a brilliant crowd behind us as always on Tuesday - and a wounded animal's a dangerous thing."
90+5 - Michail Antonio replaces Morgan Schneiderlin for Southampton.
90+4 - The same combination again, this time Chris Martin on his left foot from the left fires over Davis bar. Leeds United have equalised in injury time against ten men Brighton & Hove Albion.
90+3 - Chris Martin gets in behind Otsemobor from a Hoolahan pass and shoots left-footed, but Davis saves down low with his legs, although it looked like he was going the wrong way. On the rebound Martin is late in on Hammond as he clears and is booked.
90th - The fourth official has signalled six minutes of time to be added on.
87th - Dan Harding joins his goalkeeper for kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick.
85th - Dean Hammond is booked for attempting to trip McNamee twice as he went away from him. Chris Martin's free-kick is deflected over. McNamee with the corner from the right and Holt with the header but over the bar. Kelvin Davis is also booked for taking too long over a goal kick.
84th - Simon Lappin is replaced by Stephen Hughes in the middle of the City middle.
81st - Stephen Hughes is to come on for City.
79th - Deep ball into the box by Simon Lappin is meet by skipper Grant Holt and a routine save is spilt by Davis and gathered at the second attempt.
77th - Southampton do double their advantage. Jason Puncheon gets to the right-hand byeline and cuts the ball back for the waiting Lee Barnard, who finds the back of the net from 10 yards despite the best efforts of Korey Smith on the goal line.
77th - Same man, same result. Rickie Lambert cut inside on the left and played it back for Lallana who opened his body and curled an effort off the post.
75th - Jon Otsemobor in a rare attacking element today for him, slips in Adam Lallana who turns smartly but sees his shot clip the outside of the post.
73rd - Like last week away at Brighton, looks like three at the back, Smith and Lappin in midfield with McNamee and Hoolahan supporting the front two.
70th - Lee Barnard thinks he's doubled the visitors lead, but the flag was long since up and the whistle gone for handball in the build up.
68th - Michael Nelson is withdrawn for Anthony McNamee. Long throw-in by Michael Rose is headed behind for a City corner. McNamee straight over to take and it doesn't beat the first man.
65th - Today's attendance is announced as 25,103 and we will see Anthony McNamee shortly.
64th - A questionable couple of minutes from the referee as he sends off Darel Russell for nothing more than a high boot around the chest of Morgan Schneiderlin, and he also looked to have won the ball. Anthony McNamee is still waiting on the touchline, perhaps a re-think of how to organise with ten men now by Paul Lambert. Afraid that did not look like a sending off offense for my vantage point.
63rd - Hammond comes in two-footed and jumped on Smith and both players require treatment. Drop-ball to resume, assume referee Russell Booth didn't have a view of that because it wasn't pretty.
60th - Anthony McNamee is kitting up down in the dugout.
53rd - Kelvin Davis with an amazing fingertip save onto his bar to preserve the Saints' lead. Korey Smith wound up a shot from 30 yards, which took a deflection and the big 'keeper backpedaled quickly enough, then tipped it onto his bar and cleared away before Hoolahan could follow in.
50th - "
48th - Michael Nelson draws a fantastic low save out of Kelvin Davis at the start of the half, looked like it took a slight deflection on its way through, but the 'keeper did well down low at his near post to palm away. Southampton cleared up field and had a two-on-one with Puncheon being played in. The midfielder one-on-one with Fraser Forster, who makes a fantastic stop, one-handed at the feet of Puncheon as he looked to round him. The on-loan 'keeper then followed it up, with a sliding tackle before Nelson pulled back his man for a free-kick. Lambert took it, with pace across goal, looking a touch but goal kick to City.
46th - Barnard and Lambert get us back underway, with City attacking the Barclay Stand this second half and the sun having dropped behind the stand.
"Have faith Ben! Like I said last week, we always come good in the second half. I reckon the players are getting the hairdryer as we speak!!!" - hrsthenwc
Half-time - City emerge unchanged well before their opponents, who are also unchanged.
Half-time - Other half-time scores in League One see Charlton Athletic lead against Yeovil Town through Kyel Reid, Colchester United are drawing with Oldham Athletic as are Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion. Charlie Austin is the scorer for Swindon Town against Carlisle United. The top are at home today and likewise on Tuesday night.
Half-time - Southampton lead 1-0 at Carrow Road at the break and they are good value for their lead as well. I'm struggling to recall a City shot in that first half. The last four of Norwich City games have seen the team that score first go on and lose on a positive note. Think Walsall, Huddersfield Town, Millwall and Brighton - three of those four times, City have come from behind.
45th - Radhi Jaidi is the first player in referee Russell Booth's notebook this afternoon for a deliberate handball, 10 yards inside his own half. The Hoolahan free-kick goes straight through to Kelvin Davis. There will be a minimum of one minute of time to be added on.
40th - Morgan Schneiderlin with a cross from the right and Lee Barnard meets it on the volley far post but strikes it wide at the near post.
38th - "
37th - Korey Smith makes a great committed sliding block to deny a Dan Harding cross to come in, but it goes behind for a corner. Puncheon takes, City win the first challenge and Holt is strong to clear under pressure up to Hoolahan.
32nd - Doherty fouls Lambert and Southampton have a free-kick, 25 yards out. Rickie Lambert takes it and a sweet strike, comes back off the underside of the crossbar, some appeals that it bounced down over the line, but Lee Barnard reacts quickest to stab home the loose ball, although it appeared he gave Nelson a healthy shove to get to the ball. Despite complaints to the referee, it's Southampton that lead at Carrow Road, with his first goal in six appearances for the South Coast side.
30th - Gary Doherty has to head Puncheon's delivery behind for a corner. Puncheon delivers it deep and Dean Hammond wins the header, which Barnard stops two yards out, with a man at his back and Forster dives down to gather the ball.
29th - Rose is penalised for an alledged trip on Jason Puncheon who knocked the ball round him, but then appeared to throw himself over the challenge of Rose.
27th - Puncheon creating on the right. Floats over a cross, which Rickie Lambert flicks on and Forster throws up those big hands of his to save. Great reaction save. It's Southampton who have had the best of the chances at the start of this match.
24th - "W
23rd - The Saints work the ball from right to left and Dan Harding offers the threat from left-back, delivering a cross onto Lee Barnard's chest and he shoots on the turn but over the bar.
21st - Jason Puncheon will have felt he should have done better with that chance. A cross from the left intended for Lambert, reaches the former Plymouth man, 14 yards out and he drags his shot wide of Forster's left-hand post.
20th - Some nice intricate play by the Canaries almost pays off. Hoolahan and both Martin's involved. The Irishman eventually threaded a neat ball in behind by a yard too strong for Chris Martin and Davis is out on the slide to smother.
19th - City manage to work the ball from the back, Chris Martin slips in Hoolahan on the right, however the cross intended for Grant Holt at the back stick is too long.
18th - A poor clearance out of defence this time by City leads to Rickie Lambert being played in down the right, but his half-volley goes way over the bar.
17th - Southampton with the first shot of a lively charged game. The visitors work the ball over to Morgan Schneiderlin, whose shot from 25 yards takes a deflection thorugh and Forster gathers comfortably.
16th - Short pass by Fonte out of defence and Hoolahan stabs the ball through to Holt but Kelvin Davis comes rushing to the edge of his area to clear away.
11th - Rickie Lambert wins a corner off Michael Rose blocking the cross. Michael Nelson wins the header from the corner and again rises highest to clear the second ball in from Jason Puncheon.
9th - Radhi Jaidi this time on Holt, climbing over the back of him. Russell and Simon Lappin over it but the Scot's delivery is too deep.
8th - Grant Holt wins a cheap free-kick over on the left touchline shielding the ball. Darel Russell whips it in right-footed but a powerful header from Fonte clears.
6th - Korey Smith breaks from midfield and plays the ball into Grant Holt. The striker turns and feeds it back into the path of Smith, with an options left and right of him. Smith beats the first man but Jose Fonte is round on the cover to make the tackle.
3rd - Forster, doning a cap looking into the bright sun has to come and sweep up a long ball forward.
1st - City kick-off and Michael Rose sends a long ball down the left touchline in front of the Jarrold Stand and win a throw-in deep into Southampton territory. Long throw-in by Rose is cleared away and City keep up the early pressure.
Both teams enter a pre-match huddle and it's Southampton who emerge first. It will be City to kick off attacking the Norwich and Peterborough Stand first half, into the sun and all of the back four are shielding their eyes.
City are unchanged from last weekend's win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Jon Otsemobor returns to Carrow Road in a Southampton line-up featuring League One leading goalscorer Rickie Lambert and Lee Barnard - recently signed from Southend United - with Adam Lallana in midfield. Other new signings Jason Puncheon - signed from Plymouth Argyle, but was on loan at MK Dons - starts but Dan Seaborne from Exeter City is on the bench.
CITY: Forster, Nelson (McNamee 68), R.Martin, Holt (c), Doherty, Hoolahan, C.Martin, Lappin (Hughes 84), Russell, Rose, Smith. Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Gill, Spillane, McVeigh, Johnson.
Southampton: Davis, Harding, Puncheon, Jaidi, Lambert, Fonte, Hammond (c), Barnard, Schneiderlin (Antonio 90), Lallana, Otsemobor. Subs not used: Bialkowski (GK), Thomas, N'Diaye, Wotton, Holmes, Seaborne.
Referee: Russell Booth
To have your say on the match, simply head over to our 'Message Board' found under the 'Fans' tab and post your comments on the thread entitled, 'CITY v SOUTHAMPTON'. To post on the message board you will need to be registered on canaries.co.uk, if you are not then complete this simple online registration form.
