CODY McDonald came off the bench to fire the Canaries to a 2-1 victory in tonight's match with Walsall at the Banks's Stadium as City extended their lead at the top of the League One table.

Trailing to Troy Deeney's 34th-minute opener, Chris Martin's 18th goal of the season looked to have rescued a point for City on 78 minutes - but things got a whole lot better for the Canaries with McDonald firing the winner five minutes from time.

The three points extended City's lead at the top of the League One table after promotion rivals Leeds United crashed to a 3-0 defeat at play-off chasing Swindon Town.

After the match boss Paul Lambert once again praised the spirit of his promotion-chasing troops. Lambert told First News: "The players have been incredible, they were dead on their feet after Saturday and on a heavy pitch tonight, what a big, big result that was.

"Walsall are a good side. This is a difficult place to come, Chris (Hutchings) has got them playing really well, there won't be many teams come here and get a result, not many teams will come here and win. There was a bit of tiredness in our performances but I thought we were terrific."

The impact of substitutes McNamee and McDonald was also praised by the City boss.

"It has been tough for a lot of the lads to get into the football team but credit to the lads who came on tonight they were excellent."

Lambert handed striker Oli Johnson a first start in place of the suspended Grant Holt at the Banks's Stadium. Former Academy player Danny Kelly took Johnson's place on the bench. They were the only changes from Saturday's hard-fought 1-0 win over Brentford at Carrow Road.

City took the game to the hosts from the off and on a spongy surface forced three corners inside the opening 10 minutes.

After trying to run off a thigh injury a few minutes earlier, left-back Adam Drury limped off on 15 minutes to be replaced by Stephen Hughes who came into midfield with Simon Lappin slotting in at left-back.

City went close to opening the scoring on the 20-minute mark as Wes Hoolahan fed the ball through to Oli Johnson and the City striker lifted the ball over on-rushing 'keeper Clayton Ince, but sadly a covering defender was on hand to clear for a corner.

As the game progressed it became a more even affair with former Ipswich man Matt Richards at the heart of several promising Walsall forays into the City half.

Walsall took the lead on 34 minutes when striker Troy Deeney latched on to a through-ball down the middle of the pitch and escaped the attentions of Michael Nelson and Gary Doherty before rounding 'keeper Fraser Forster and slipping the ball into an empty net.

Shortly after the hour-mark Lambert made his second change of the game - this time a double substitution as Anthony McNamee and Cody McDonald replaced Korey Smith and Oli Johnson.

City levelled the match in the 78th minute as Clayton Ince appeared to misjudge a Hoolahan corner and among a host of players on the back post, Chris Martin prodded the ball home from close range.

Things got even better for City seven minutes later when Cody McDonald put the visitors in front. A Norwich corner was half-cleared by the Walsall defence and the loose ball was then played back in by Hoolahan to McDonald who fired past Ince.