GOAL number 30 for the season for Grant Holt proved to be the winner as City edged closer towards their aim of clinching automatic promotion from League One.
Against battling basement club Stockport County the Canaries took an early lead through Anthony McNamee only for a huge Easter Monday crowd of 25,353 at Carrow Road to be temporarily silenced by Jabo Ibehre levelling for the Hatters.
But Holt was teed up by Darel Russell to blast City back in front and Chris Martin hit the post twice as the Canaries made sure the points would be theirs to maintain a nine-point lead over Swindon in second place.
Holt is the first City player to top 30 goals in a season since Ron Davies achieved the feat 46 years ago - and after the game boss Paul Lambert paid tribute to his captain and leading scorer.
"He's been tremendous for me all season. Not just his goals but also his all-round contribution has been excellent throughout," he commented.
Lambert added the most important thing was to secure all three points: "At 2-1 you're never quite sure. We had a lot of the game and there were a lot of things happening in the Stockport box but even so you're never quite sure when there's only one in it.
"Credit to Stockport, they came and had a real go but I thought our lads were tremendous after a tiring game playing most of the match with ten men on Friday.
"I had to make some changes and I was delighted with the response from all of the lads involved."
Lambert also confirmed the injuries to Doherty and Hoolahan and said both will be assessed in the days between now and the next game at home to MK Dons on Saturday (3pm).
With Wes Hoolahan (thigh) and Gary Doherty (dead leg) both absent following injuries in the 3-1 Good Friday defeat at Tranmere Rovers, Lambert shuffled his pack. In came Zak Whitbread to the centre of defence and McNamee started on the right flank of a 4-4-2 formation.
McNamee celebrated his call to action by firing City into the lead in only the third minute. Grant Holt's intelligent cross-field ball picked out the winger on the right and he cut inside before curling an effort into the top corner with the aid of a slight deflection off David Perkins.
But Stockport stunned the Canaries by hitting back in the 12th minute, Jabo Ibehre capitalising on City's inability to clear their lines to roll the ball home from 14 yards.
City restored their advantage in the 24th minute as Whitbread's downward header from McNamee's free-kick caused an almighty scramble in County's six-yard area. It was Darel Russell who showed the composure to get a foot on the ball and lay it back to Holt, whose first-time shot from ten yards fizzed into the far corner.
In the 43rd minute they should have stretched their lead when a superb ball from Chris Martin sent Holt galloping clear down the left. He passed low into the six-yard area and as Martin slid in he looked certain to score but his effort bounced off the foot of the post and was eventually scrambled away.
Their next attack led to a corner and Simon Lappin's out-swinger was headed just over by Darel Russell as Norwich pushed for a third.
After the break the Canaries had two chances in the space of a minute just after the hour-mark as first Chris Martin was denied by County 'keeper Owain Fon Williams and then in the next attack Lappin slid an effort inches wide at the far post.
Stockport hit back and it took a smart save low to his right by Declan Rudd to palm away George Donnelly's crisp angled drive.
In the 67th minute Chris Martin hit the post for the second time in the game as his shot from a tight angle bounced off Fon Williams and struck the far post - Holt's attempt to net the rebound thwarted by a desperate block from Danny Swailes.
With a quarter of an hour to go Oli Johnson came on to face his former club, replacing Chris Martin who left the field to a warm ovation.
90+3 - Nelson wins an important tackle against Perkins but concedes a corner, which brings 'keeper Owain Fon Williams racing from his goal to join the attack, but the corner finds the side-netting. The 'keeper promptly turns round and races for home.
90th - McNamee confuses himself with his stepovers, but gets another go to dig out a cross, which is headed clear but only as far as Lappin, whose half-volley on his right foot goes over the bar. Three minutes of time to be added on.
84th - The returning Korey Smith is taking a well-earned rest with Stephen Hughes his replacement.
83rd - Holt gets to the byline and looks to cut it back to Johnson but well read by Halls.
82nd - Going to be seeing Stephen Hughes shortly.
78th - David Poole gets a shot off from just inside the area, which takes a deflection, which Rudd can't keep in. Whitbread has to head the corner behind beyond the far post for another. Whitbread wins the second corner as well, heading clear to Holt who can set McNamee away but Oli Johnson is offside as the winger tries to find him on the edge of the box.
75th - Two changes, Stockport introduce Greg Tansey for James Vincent and Paul Lambert makes his first move withdrawing Chris Martin for former Stockport-striker Oli Johnson, who gets a great reception from the City fans but not so good from the small band of travelling County fans.
73rd - City keep the ball well, working an opening, which arrives when the ball is spread wide for McNamee. He delivers for Holt and his header must have taken a deflection for a corner. Fon Williams punches clear the corner, Nelson retrieves and looks to curl one, which Swailes hacks away in front of his 'keeper.
69th - David Poole replaces Jemal Johnson for Stockport.
68th - Chris Martin strikes the post again. His shot from an acute angle, takes a deflection off the body of the diving 'keeper, skips across the goal line, strikes the far post, Holt comes sliding in and gets a slight touch but Danny Swailes on the line can clear with his knee.
65th - Up the other end and George Donnelly forces Rudd into a good save low down to his right.
64th - Great combination play from the strikers, a ball in from McNamee, headed down by Holt into the path of Chris Martin, but his point-blank range effort is saved by the legs of Owain Fon Williams. City keep the ball alive and McNamee crosses far post for Lappin, who on the slide can't believe he has knocked the ball wide. The search for his first goal of the season continues.
62nd - This Easter Monday attendance is 25,353.
61st - Drury wins a corner for the Canaries. Lappin to take from the left. Nelson is there to win the header but onto the roof of the net.
60th - Declan Rudd claims a high hanging cross, having been a virtual spectator for the opening exchanges of this second half.
58th - Nelson again with the win to set up an attack. Little flick from Chris Martin and McNamee comes in from an angle and tries to cut it back, but off the shins of the defender back onto McNamee and out for a goal kick.
55th - Nelson reads the pass well and nicks the ball, setting McNamee on a counter with the front two. He decides to go with the run of his skipper through the middle, but his opposition skipper John Mullins covers the danger well from right-back.
48th - Holt forces an early corner, his low cross being turned behind by the new man Halls. Deep corner by McNamee to Nelson, pushed half-clear, and Holt hits the side-netting with a shot from practically the goal line.
46th - A change at the start of the half by Stockport. Centre-back Paul Huntington, who required treatment in the first half has been replaced by Andy Halls.
Half-time - 'Keeper Fon Williams kicks long and the referee blows for half-time. City took the lead just three minutes in when McNamee's looping shot found the far corner, but Jabo Ibehre drew the visitors level on 12 minutes. Skipper Holt restored the lead on 25 minutes with his 30th goal of the season.
45th - Two minutes of time to be added on. Holt with a backheel to find Drury, whose cross is blocked. Lappin takes the corner and Russell meets it with a header going away from goal, which loops onto the roof of the net.
43rd - Great link up from the front two. Chris Martin puts Holt in down the left and goes looking for the return pass. Holt makes tracks down the left and tries to slide the ball across the face of goal for a Martin tap-in, but perhaps just underhit slightly and a combination of Martin and the defender guide the ball onto the near post and past the dive of Holt. Lappin, looking for his first goal of the season, has a go on his left foot but sliced and then Holt fouls the defender.
38th - City starting to take command now and work the ball around nicely from left to right. McNamee slips Russell Martin in down the right and the full-back cuts inside the sliding tackle and opts for a left-footed shot, which Owain Fon Williams claims against his chest.
36th - Teasing ball from the right is headed behind for a City corner. McNamee's corner comes straight back to him and this time his angled delivery just evades the heads.
34th - Russell Martin is down requiring treatment, the physio is on and takes Martin off the far side for treatment on what likes a back problem? He's back though and takes a throw-in from the right-back position.
31st - Lappin is forced to do likewise, as Stockport constructed a move from defence, down the left through Sadler and the Scotsman got back just in time to dispossess Partridge just inside the City box.
29th - Great tackle by Nelson on George Donnelly as he weaves his way inside the box.
28th - Free-kick from the left this time, for a foul by Ibehre on Drury. Lappin takes but Stockport can clear.
26th - Russell is urged to shoot and does but narrowly over the bar.
25th City free-kick, over on the right. McNamee takes to the far post and Whitbread challenges for it. It was either blocked on the line or hit the post, either way it came back out and Darel Russell cool as you like, waited and teed up Grant Holt and from ten yards the skipper side-footed through a crowded six-yard box to net his 30th goal of the season and restore the lead.
22nd - Paul Huntington is in need of some treatment, the centre-back looked like he was hobbling earlier. The physio straps up his right calf and sends him back on his way.
20th - Partridge crosses from the right, deep, which Russell Martin heads clear to the edge of the area but Johnson is first upon it and his half-volley clears the bar.
18th - It's all gone a bit scrappy at the moment, midfield dog-fight. Johnson repeats his trick from the 11th minute, but this time Rudd can watch the ball go wide of his left-hand post.
15th - "
12th - Jabo Ibehre draws Stockport level with some defensive uncertainty from City. David Perkins looked to thread a pass through to Richie Partridge, it rolled through both he and Zak Whitbread. Rudd coming out to narrow the angle, got something on it, but it rolled into the path of Ibehre, who slid the ball home, past the despairing stretch of Adam Drury on the line.
11th - Jemal Johnson cuts in off his left flank and tries his luck from distance but Declan Rudd makes a comfortable gather down low in front of him. Nice early confidence booster.
8th - Grant Holt beats Mat Sadler over on the right and looks to whip in a cross, but ends up on the top of the goal.
3rd - Anthony McNamee in for the injured Wes Hoolahan gives City an early lead here at Carrow Road. Holt sprayed the ball out right to the winger and he drove towards the edge of the box, a shimmer and his curling left-footed effort looped up over 'keeper Owain Fon Williams, perhaps with the aid of a slight deflection off the sliding David Perkins.
1st - Korey Smith and Darel Russell kick the game off with City attacking the Barclay Stand first half. Simon Lappin, Chris Martin and Grant Holt all out left. Long ball played wide by Russell Martin but out for a throw in above the jumping Holt.
The teams are out and the blonde hair of the tall figure of Zak Whitbread sticks out like a sore thumb as the teams shake hands. Whitbread will partner Michael Nelson at the heart of the City defence on his first start. The American international is one of five changes as detailed below.
Two games already been played in League One today, both ended 2-1 to the away side. Leeds United beat Yeovil Town at Huish Park and Millwall were victors over Colchester United at the Colchester Community Stadium.
Paul Lambert makes five changes from the Friday night defeat to Tranmere Rovers, three of which are enforced with on-loan goalkeeper Fraser Forster suspended - for his dismissal against Tranmere - while Gary Doherty and Wes Hoolahan are injured. In come Declan Rudd, for his fourth career start, his three previous have ended 4-0, 5-1 and 7-1, Zak Whitbread for his first City start and Anthony McNamee. Korey Smith is back from his dead leg in place of Stephen Hughes and Chris Martin is restored to partner Grant Holt in place of Stephen Elliott:
CITY: Rudd, Drury, Nelson, R.Martin, Holt (c), C.Martin (Johnson 75), Lappin, Russell, McNamee, Smith (Hughes 84), Whitbread. Subs not used: Steer (GK), Gill, Elliott, Spillane, Rose.
Stockport: Fon Williams, Mullins (c), Partridge, Huntington (Halls 46), Vincent (Tansey 74), Ibehre, Johnson (Poole 69), Swailes, Perkins, Sadler, Donnelly. Subs not used: Gerrard (GK), Turnbull, Rowe, Fisher.
Referee: F Graham
