CITY'S deadly strikeforce of Grant Holt, Chris Martin and Wes Hoolahan took their combined goal tally for the season to 60 as they each scored to earn City a comfortable win over visitors Yeovil.
Hoolahan slotted home his 14th of the season less than two minutes into the game, Holt smashed in his 26th of the campaign after the break and Martin grabbed his 20th strike as City stretched their lead at the top of league one to seven points, with Leeds held at home by Brentford.
The game was only 104 seconds old when City swept into the lead. Holt was unlucky not to add to his tally as his header from Anthony McNamee's corner smacked against the upright - but the rebound spun across goal kindly for Hoolahan to side-foot home.
Holt had a glorious chance to double City's advantage in first-half injury time when he played a lovely one-two with Chris Martin before rounding the 'keeper superbly, only to fire into the side-netting.
In the second half Simon Lappin brought a fine flying save from Glovers 'keeper McCarthy, diving to his left to palm over the Canary midfielder's 25-yard drive in the 65th minute.
But McCarthy was arguably partially at fault four minutes later as Norwich struck a killer blow with their second of the game. McNamee's cross ballooned high in the air off a Yeovil defender and McCarthy under pressure from Martin made a hash of his attempt to punch clear - and the ball fell for Holt to smash into the roof of the net.
Then on 75 minutes the Yeovil stopper was picking the ball out of his net again. This time a clever pass from Holt took out two visiting defenders to find Chris Martin sprinting in to blast a low shot McCarthy got a hand to but could not keep out.
With just under a quarter of an hour to go Lambert made a double subsitution as Oli Johnson replaced Holt and Stephen Elliot came on for his City debut in place of Martin. Matt Gill later completed the changes as Hoolahan left the pitch to a huge ovation.
Afterwards City boss Paul Lambert commented: "I thought we started the game really well and throughout the 90 minutes we were a threat. The lads have given me everything. They were on top of their game and I've always got great belief they will go and get us a goal when they are playing well like that.
"Every game we try to take the game to the opposition right from the off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it takes you a bit longer to get into it, but today I thought they were excellent. The lads have been brilliant and they are the ones who deserve all the credit."
Although City's victory was a comfortable one, with Fraser Forster barely called upon to make a save, Lambert commented: "At 1-0 you're taking nothing for granted at all. Terry's got a good side there who have got some good results so we always knew we'd have to stay on top of our game.
"Every game we play is hard. People come to the stadium expecting us to win six or seven-nil and it just doesn't happen that way. We've got to earn the right to play against these teams and it will be the same in the games still to go."
90th - Three minutes of time to be added on.
87th - Matt Gill will replace Wes Hoolahan, who like Holt and Martin before him, gets a standing ovation from the almost 25,000-strong crowd packed into Carrow Road this afternoon. Keiran Murtagh replaces Gavin Tomlin.
85th - Lappin delivers a cross for Stephen Elliott who tries to pick out Johnson on the stretch but Forbes clears only as far as Smith, whose shot from distance takes a deflection but gathered low by McCarthy.
83rd - Jean-Paul Kalala does enter the referee's notebook for a late sliding tackle on Korey Smith. Matt Gill is stripped and ready to join us.
78th - A double change in attack, Chris Martin is replaced by Oli Johnson and skipper Grant Holt by new boy Stephen Elliott, twice Championship title winner, not a bad replacement and nine time international with Republic of Ireland.
75th - Chris Martin gets in on the act with his 20th of the season. Nice link-up play with the skipper. Holt faced with two defenders squares it for Martin, who one-on-one with the 'keeper takes an early shot, which McCarthy gets a hand on, but it has enough power to still cross the line. Potentially a good low save, which ricochetes off the back of his head but we'll have to see what the replays say.
70th - This afternoon's attendance is announced as 24.868.
69th - The pressure pays off as Grant Holt notches his 26th goal of the season. A McNamee cross from the right is deflected high into the air. Chris Martin takes up his position early and gets a good leap in and McCarthy comes and can only punch against the back of Martin's head. The ball breaks to Holt who sweeps home from six yards, off the head of a defender on the line, emphatically lifting the ball into the roof of the net. Oli Johnson and Stephen Elliott warming up.
68th - City looking to turn up the heat after a small start to the half. Holt meets a cross from the left with a diving header from behind him. Comfortable save and from McCarthy's kick, Yeovil almost threads it through to Sam Williams but Fraser Forster, who has had very little to do all game comes off his line to sweep up.
67th - The search continues but Lappin is hunting hard. Smith finds himself just over 20 yards out with a neat pass and Lappin opts to take this one on, on his right foot, a slight deflection but McCarthy can readjust to save.
66th - Chris Martin seizes on a misjudgement by Forbes in defence and unselfishly lays it off for Simon Lappin. The Scot tries to lob McCarthy from 20 yards but the 'keeper is agile to backpeddle and tip over the bar. The search for Lappin's first goal of the season continues.
64th - "
62nd - Holt is caught late about 25 yards from goal. Ten yards right of centre, Hoolahan standing over it. Hung up for the centre-backs to attack but Alex McCarthy, on loan from Reading comes into the crowd to claim.
59th - Jean-Paul Kalala receives a talking to from the referee from a foul on McNamee.
52nd - Long ball over the top puts Lappin away down the left-hand side. He's forced to turn back and after an exchange of passes, he can cross deep. Looked like Forbes got a touch on that on it's way out but a goal kick given.
46th - City get us back underway attacking the Barclay End in this second half. Yeovil have made a double change at the interval with Andy Welsh and Aiden Downes replacing Arron Davies and Ryan Mason.
Half-time - City dominated the first half here at Carrow Road and should perhaps be further than one goal in front. The goal came after just 104 seconds when Wes Hoolahan tapped in from about a yard out after Grant Holt's header from an Anthony McNamee corner came back off the inside of the post.
45+1 - As the board was held aloft, Grant Holt showed great strength and power to run through three tackles, have the presence of mind to exchange passes with Chris Martin. The return pass put Holt clear in on goal, the Holt-feint, McCarthy went to ground and Holt rounded him to his right, but was falling over slightly as he went to tuck away into an empty net and his shot hit the side-netting. Holt holds his head in his hands in front of the Norwich and Peterborough Stand.
45th - One minute of time to be added on.
44th - Deep ball in from Russell Martin met by Nelson, and his header down falls onto the penalty spot and cleared away.
41st - Good strength and a turn from Holt from a Forster kick and he almost puts Martin in behind except for the long outstretched leg of on-loan defender Steven Caulker. Hoolahan has a shot blocked from 14 yards, corner to City.
39th - Just had the text from Academy Manager Ricky Martin to say they beat Portsmouth 1-0 away with the goal coming from midfielder Matt Ball.
38th - It's all City, it has been most of the half, McNamee attempts a curler from the right edge of the penalty box, which McCarthy saves above his head.
36th - Consistent City pressure, again coming mainly down the right, finally sees McNamee find Hoolahan making tracks into the box and the playmakers tries his luck on his left, but it deflects up towards the penalty spot, where Chris Martin wins the header and it rolls through to McCarthy.
32nd - Holt wins a corner for City over on the far byline. McNamee will take from the left, left-footed. Holt rises highest to win the header but over the bar.
30th - "Good result earlier, Swindon lost 4-0, lets hope we can follow up and put some more distance between us and the chasing pack.
26th - Nelson brings down Tomlin, about 30 yards from goal, near the left touchline. Davies over the delivery, right-footed and Lappin wins the header on the edge of the area.
24th - Gavin Tomlin wins a corner off the legs of Nelson. Corner taken short but returned to Davies to cross, but Doherty is there to win the header.
19th - Free-kick for a foul on Russell Martin near the corner flag. Free-kick is driven low to the back of the area for Chris Martin to strike, but it is blocked and Yeovil can hack clear.
17th - A poor headed clearance from Terrell Forbes is seized upon by Holt, who lines up a shot from range, which swerves in the air but McCarthy saves low down to his left.
16th - Dangerous looking corner from Aaron Davies, which Russell Martin throws himself at to head clear.
15th - Hoolahan works himself out of a tight space and finds Holt, back to goal he spins away from his man and feeds McNamee on the right, his first time low cross takes a deflection through to McCarthy.
14th - City again down the right, this time Chris Martin shows great feet to beat his man and then deliver a cross for McNamee to meet on the half-volley but McCarthy gathers comfortably.
12th - A smart move out of defence culminates in Chris Martin going close. Russell Martin played it out from the back to McNamee, the winger played Holt in down the outside-right channel. The striker turned his man and delivered a fantastic cross near post for his strike-partner to meet on the volley, but he turned his effort just over McCarthy's bar.
9th - Michael Rose launches one of his trademark long throw-ins into the box, which City don't really attack and Yeovil can clear. The ball is returned to the mixer and Michael Nelson isn't far away from meeting the delivery but Alex McCarthy plucks out of the air.
6th - The formation looks like a straight 4-4-2, with McNamee on the right, Simon Lappin on the left, Hoolahan and Korey Smith in the middle of midfield. The usual Holt and Martin strike-force.
2nd - The persaverance of Grant Holt wins City a corner. Anthony McNamee delivers the corner from the left, left-footed, met by a powerful header by Grant Holt at the near post. It cannons back off the post across the goal and Wes Hoolahan is in the right place to tap-in from a yard. The goal was timed at 1:44, Hoolahan's 14th goal of the season.
1st - Yeovil kick-off and City are attacking the Norwich and Peterborough Stand in this first half. City almost in, inside the opening minute, little ball played into Grant Holt and his ball round the corner for Chris Martin is cut out. From the throw, an Anthony McNamee cross is headed clear.
The City players are wearing black armbands in honour Macclesfield Town Manager Keith Alexander who passed away earlier this week.
The game is at the County Ground finished 4-0 to Bristol Rovers and the players emerge from the tunnel here at Carrow Road in the bright sunshine, a little chilly though.
One score to bring you up-to-date with, currently at the County Ground it's Swindon Town 0-3 Bristol Rovers, about 10 minutes into the second half there.
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Manager Paul Lambert names an unchanged from starting line-up from the win over Oldham Athletic last weekend. Declan Rudd returns to the bench in place of Jed Steer and new loan signing Stephen Elliott from Preston North End replaces Tom Adeyemi as a substitute. Meanwhile, Yeovil look a man light on their substitutes bench but start with Alex McCarthy on loan from Reading in goal, Steven Caulker and Ryan Mason on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and Shaun MacDonald on loan from Swansea City.
CITY: Forster, Nelson, R.Martin, Holt (c) (Elliott 78), Doherty, Hoolahan (Gill 87), C.Martin (Johnson 78), Lappin, Rose, McNamee, Smith. Subs not used: Rudd (GK), Hughes, Spillane, McVeigh.
Yeovil: McCarthy, Alcock (c), Caulker, Forbes, Davies (Downes 46), Williams, Tomlin (Murtagh 87), Mason (Welsh 46), Kalala, MacDonald, Smith. Subs not used: Martin (GK), Murray, Hutchins.
Referee: J Linington
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