CITY were knocked out of the FA Cup at a foggy Brunton Park as hosts Carlisle United dominated the second half and clinched their place in the third round for the first time since 2001.
With a thick bank of fog rolling into the ground minutes before the game's unusual kick-off time of 5.15pm, City started slowly and were behind after just 12 minutes when the lively Vincent Pericard converted Joe Anyinsah's cross with an unconventional backheeled volley.
But the Canaries rallied well and grabbed a deserved equaliser when Grant Holt headed home his 16th goal of the season from Wes Hoolahan's cross after the Irishman had jinked into the box superbly.
The visitors enjoyed the lion's share of possession for the remainder of the first half but failed to convert their territorial advantage into further goals, so the sides went in level at 1-1 at the break.
The second half was to prove a different story however as Carlisle gave early notice of their intentions by regaining their lead less than a minute after the restart, Pericard beating the challenges of Simon lappin and Michael Nelson before squaring for Kevan Hurst to slide the ball home.
City sturggled to find their customary fluidity as the half progressed, while Carlisle continued to look lively and threatening. All the chances of note came to the home side, while Carlisle, keeper Adam Collin was rarely tested.
The Cumbrians extended their lead to 3-1 when Richard Keogh found the net with a close-range header from veteran Graham Kavanagh's cross.
Hoolahan did manage to test Collin in injury time with a 25-yard effort which the home 'keeper dived to his left to parry, but it was too little, too late on a night in which Carlisle deservedly progressed to the next round.
For City meanwhile the task is to pick themselves up and bounce back with a good performance and result when they return to Coca-Cola League action at Southend on Tuesday night.
Asked for his assessment of his side's performance after the match, City boss Paul Lambert said: "Not the greatest. We got off to a really poor start, started slowly in the game and got ourselves back in it with a wee spell. We did ok after we got the goal . Second half we lost a goal after about 10 seconds or so. You can't start the second half the way we did and expect to turn the game again.
"We just never got going, Carlisle were better than us on the night.
"There were a number of things you could put it down to, we got off to a poor start, we lost a goal and found ourselves back in it. But even at 2-1 we had another 44 minutes to get a goal and we never did what we've been doing in previous weeks."
The Norwich manager said despite the disappointment of going out of the Cup, his side would be looking for a positive response at Southend: "As I've said before if you're in something you try and win every game you can, we;ve been on an absolutely terrific run and we just go again.
"The way the lads have been has been terrific. It's tough to keep on going week in, week out, but I can't ask for any more but today we weren't just at it."
Meanwhile Lambert revealed Jens Berthel Askou was left out of the squad as he was looking after his wife, who is ill: "He had to go off his as his wife really wasn't well, hopefully she's feeling better but we had to let Jens be with his family."
