GOALS number 11 and 12 of the season from Captain Marvel Grant Holt helped City to an excellent 3-1 win over Stockport County at Edgeley Park.

The second of his brace was crucial, after a cruelly-deflected effort from County dangerman Carl Baker nine minutes from time provided an unnecessarily nervous finish to a game in which Norwich had looked more than comfortable.

Holt had fired the Canaries into the lead in the 16th minute, netting his 11th goal of the season as the Stockport defence failed to clear their lines.

After the break it was City who continued to look the more dangerous and they duly doubled their lead in the 69th minute after Chris Martin showed superb skills to cut in from the right touchline and force Michael Rose into a clumsy challenge in the box.

Referee Andy Woolmer pointed to the spot and Wes Hoolahan stepped up to slam the ball home past the dive of Williams in the County goal.

City were in cruise control but in the 81st minute they allowed Carl Baker enough time to squeeze a shot away from the egde of the box - and it took a wicked deflection off his strike partner Peter Thompson to take it past Fraser Forster.

Suddenly the home crowd sensed a comeback and City were forced to weather a few nervous moments - only for that man Holt to settle the nerves on 90 minutes, sweeping home subsitute Cody McDonald's low cross to make it 3-1 and wrap up all three points for the Canaries.

After the game City boss Lambert said: "We were battling. You've seen the state of the pitch, it's not the greatest we've been on this season. I think we've played to the pitch first and foremost but all credit to them."

Asked whether Baker's strike to make it 2-1 with nine minutes to go had made for a few nervous moments in the Canary dugout, Lambert replied: "Oh yes, there's no doubt about it. When a team gets a late goal it can galvanise the crowd and increase the pressure. But the lads have done great and have come back with a goal to settle it."

The Canary manager praised his leading scorer Grant Holt whose two-goal salvo took his tally for the campaign so far to a round dozen. "He's terrific, really terrific, he's been doing it every week with the same excellent performance level and he's got two more good goals today. It's great for him and the whole team and it's great for the large number of fans that made the long trip to get behind us today."

4th - Stockport's leading marksman Paul Baker tries his luck as he latches on to a weak clearance from Forster, but his effort is well over.

12th - Forster keeps his nerve to save brilliantly as Stockport's Peter Thompson bursts through one on one.

16th - 1-0 to City! Grant Holt bundles the ball home to give City the lead after the Stockport defence fails to clear a deep cross into the area.

18th - Drury finds space in his makeshift right-back role and fires in a cross which actually is closer to goal than County 'keeper Williams might have liked, but flies over the angle of post and bar.

24th - Simon Lappin and Johnny Mullins collide and both are momentarily stunned. There's a lengthy stoppage for treatement, though Lappin is now on his feet at least.

25th - When Mullins does eventually climb to his feet he is greeted with a yellow card for his initial challenge. Simon Lappin sweeps in the free-kick but Doherty under pressure can't tee up a team-mate and the danger is cleared.

30th - The lively Carl Baker sprints down the left and forces Gary Doherty to concede a corner. The flag-kick is poor and easily cleared but it comes back in and Drury is forced to nudge it behind for another corner. This one comes out to David Poole but his half-volley is easy for Forster to collect.

34th - Michael Rose twists and turns on the edge of City's area before firing a 20-yard effort which was always going high and wide.

35th - Paul Turnbull catches Wes Hoolahan in a dangerous central position 35 yards out, but Hoolahan is unable to make the kick count.

37th - Simon Lappin receives a yellow card after a firm tackle in the centre circle which sends David Poole crashing to the deck. Not too many arguments from the Norwich players.

41st - Bignall crosses low into the six-yard box and Askou is alert to slide in a clear the ball behind as Thompson also slides in looking to score.

45th - The referee's assistant signals two minutes of additional time to be played.

45+1 - Some argy bargy in the centre circle sees Baker and Russell clash. The free-kick goes to the home side but Baker inexplicably tries to take a long quick kick into City's box where only Fraser Forster resides - the City 'keeper able to collect easily.

Half-time: Stockport County 0, Norwich City 1

Stockport kick off the second half.

47th: Stockport have a free-kick on the edge of their box, Martin adjudged to have fouled his marker.

49th: Fairly even at the moment, no changes for either side at the break. Martin races onto a ball from Smith but his attempted shot is blocked on edge of County penalty area.

50th: Strong challenge on Korey Smith in centre circle by Bridcutt, which he receives a yellow card for. City substitution - a limping Gill replaced by Tom Adeyemi.

55th: Poole breaks down the right for Stockport and puts a ball into the box, which Askou clears.

56th: Corner to City after Martin's effort is deflected wide after good work by Adam Drury. Lappin's delivery is palmed away by Williams. A throw-in falls to Lappin and Smith fails to connect with just the goalkeeper to beat.

57th; Good pressure from the Canaries - Hoolahan's wide effort is tipped round post by Williams, but the 'keeper makes up for it by claiming the subsequent corner.

59th: Thompson breaks and puts a dangerous cross in, which puts City's defence under real pressure, Doherty clears for a corner and Askou defends his lines from the flag-kick.

"Are you sure it was congestion, or was it Gemma navigating? Well if anything I missed you! I'm going for a 2-0 win to Norwich. OTBC!!!" - panomania.

62th: Stockport with the possession at the moment. The ball arrives to the feet of Thompson in the six-yard box but he just gets the timing of his attempted lay-off to strike partner Baker wrong and the ball rolls wide for a goal kick.

63rd: Turnbull whips in a dangerous cross from the right which Huntington could only get a toe on at full stretch and his mishit effort looped up over the bar.

65th: Drury's 300th appearance will include a yellow card after he's adjudged to foul their skipper Raynes.

"Don't worry Joe you haven't missed a lot, we haven't played well and scored against the run of play. We don't seem to have got going. Gill's off injured already after managing about 50 minutes under Lambert." - abowen 773

67th: Penalty to City, Martin clipped as he went to shoot! Paul Huntington the culprit after Martin cut in from the right, showing brilliant skills to jink past the County defender and force him into a clumsy challnge. Despite strong protests from County Hoolahan steps up to calmly blast the ball to Williams' left, doubling City's advantage.

71st: Excellent break by City - Hoolahan breaking into the box and forcing County to concede another corner.

73rd: City have another free-kick just inside Stockport's half, after a late challenge on Hoolahan. The ball is worked down the left and the Canaries win another flag-kick, but the ball is claimed by Williams to stave off this period of pressure by Paul Lambert's side.

"2-0 up now. I can relax a bit more now! Results around us going our way, we will be in the automatic places in a few weeks! Shame Ipswich are winning though" - abowen 773

76th: Cody McDonald replaces Wes Hoolahan, Chris Martin moves to the left.

78th; Today's attendance is 5,218, with around 1,200 of those Canaries.

79th: Stockport make two substitutions - Danny Pilkington replaces Danny Pool and Oli Johnson for Bignall.

81st: Deflected goal for the home side. Forster was wrong footed after Carl Baker's shot was wickedly defelcted by Peter Thompson.

84th: Lappin's free-kick is met by Cody McDonald's head but it's stright at Williams.

85th: Good chance again for the home side - Thompson bundling in at the back from a free-kick but luckily Forster claims and the assistant referee flags for offside.

87th; Holt finds himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper after beating the offside trap but the ball is high and he has to wait for it to drop making it difficult to control and the opportunity is lost.

88th: Hand ball shout for Stockport - the ball is hit hard at Doherty but it seems to hit his body and the referee waves Stockport's shouts away.

89th: Michael Nelson replaces Simon Lappin.

90th: City make it 3! Cody McDonald breaks on the right with Stockport pressing forward and he crosses for Holt to tap home - good work by the front two. Four minutes have been added.

90+4: City make a late break, and Holt tries a low shot but Williams is equal to it.

Final score: Stockport County 3 Norwich City 1

CITY: Forster, Drury, Doherty, Askou, Lappin, Smith, Russell, Hoolahan, Gill (Adeyemi 50), Holt (c), Martin (McDonald 76). Subs: Rudd, Nelson, Tudur Jones, Cureton, McVeigh.

STOCKPORT: Williams, Mullins, Rose, Bridcutt, Raynes (c), Turnbull, Bignall (Johnson 79), Baker, Poole (Pilkington 79), Thompson, Huntington. Subs: Vincent, Griffin, Gerrard (gk), Halls, Havern.