CITY boss Glenn Roeder saw a super save from David Marshall and a thunderbolt from Lee Croft at the other end seal a dramatic injury-time triumph for the Canaries over the Blades of Sheffield at Carrow Road.

The City boss was asked whether there was any better way of winning a game than in the last few moments of the match. "As long as you know it's coming, the trouble is when you're standing in the technical area you don't know it's coming!

"I'm really pleased for Lee Croft, we've spent so much time with him on that at the training ground. We know his best foot by far is his right foot but I keep saying to him that if he's going to be wrong, be wrong doing the right thing. Swing that left foot when you come inside and try and score a goal, and if it ends up hitting the corner flag, so what. At least you've attempted to do the right thing.

"He had an opportunity in the first half to do that, when he came inside he travelled quickly with the ball and the goal opened up. He chose to pass the ball across the face of the 18-yard box for someone else and I was disappointed that he didn't make an attempt on goal. But he learned from that and when the chance came again deep into injury time, he opened up the goal and he bought a lottery ticket, a winning one. It was a terrific shot and it ended up in the back of the net and he got us the three deserved points."

Roeder said the win against Sheffield United was an important one for the Canaries. He commented: "It's very important, and it's important we got a clean sheet as well. For me in professional football that's almost a perfect result - a clean sheet, score a goal, win 1-0, thank you very much.

"It has been a very good day and I think it's worth mentioning because we lost the two centre backs from Wednesday night's game, we didn't have a chance to practice with Elliott Omozusi and Jonathan Grounds at the heart of defence. But it just shows you if you're a good enough player, it makes no difference. You see the same things, you work as a pair and you work well and I thought Jonathan Grounds was outstanding and so was Elliot as well, two very young players to play in the centre of defence - I couldn't be more pleased with them.

"I also couldn't be more pleased with Marshall - the save he made against Webber was the equivalent of scoring the winning goal because it turned the game. He did it against Birmingham, had Kevin Phillips scored it would have been such an injustice not to have taken something from the game and he's done the same today.

"Sheffield United weren't really in it and they're a tough team to beat. We've picked up a couple of injuries that I don't like but we'll assess those tomorrow morning. Matty Pattison has been so consistent lately and done so well, and deservedly he's been in the starting line-up. He's picked up a hamstring, I hope it's not too serious but it obviously makes him a doubt for next week.

"Arturo came on as a sub but during the period he played his right hamstring tightened up, we don't think he's done serious damage and there's a chance he'll be OK for next week."