SUPER Chrissy Martin made it sweet 16 for the season with a classy first-half brace to propel Paul Lambert's rampant Canaries to a brilliant 5-0 win away to Colchester.
In front of a record crowd of 10,064 at the rain-soaked Weston Homes Community Stadium, Gary Doherty added a third soon after the break and Wes Hoolahan slammed a penalty against the bar as City buried the memory of their opening day defeat by the U's.
Then new boy Oli Johnson bagged his first for the Club after coming on as a substitute to make it 4-0 and Grant Holt slid joyously in the mud on his chest to celebrate his 23rd of the season and City's fifth as all the pre-match media hype was laid to rest in emphatic fashion.
There was still time for more drama as a feisty game featuring numerous yellow cards saw Premier League referee Mike Dean show former Canary Ian Henderson a straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Darel Russell.
Martin opened the scoring in the 16th minute, cutting inside his marker to drill the ball low past his near post from just inside the area. He doubled his tally after latching on to a great ball from Holt and then powering into the box and finishing with a superb strike low into the corner.
SUPER STRIKE - Chris Martin opens the scoring
After the break the Colchester defence failed to deal with Wes Hoolahan's free-kick into the box and Doherty slammed the loose ball home.
City had a chance to make it four from the penalty spot after Holt was fouled in the box by Magnus Okuonghae in the 57th minute. But Hoolahan, normally lethal from the spot, slammed his penalty against the bar and although he bundled home the rebound the effort was disallowed as he touched the ball twice.
But another lively cameo from Oli 'Magic' Johnson saw him conjure up an opportunist strike to open his Canary goal account with a low shot inside the foot of the far post after he hassled Colchester substitute Pat Baldwin into making an error.
It was already party time for the 1,900-plus members of the Yellow Army singing 'Let's all have a disco' in the away end before Grant Holt completed a superb afternoon for the Club when he rounded U's 'keeper Ben Williams to roll home his 23rd goal of the season.
After the game, a delighted Paul Lambert said: "The lads were brilliant, they really were, considering all the things that have been going on and have been said, they kept their heads and kept their game going and I thought we were worthy winners.
"We came here to try and win another three points, which we've done. I thought some of the football we played in really bad conditions was exceptional."
NUMBER TWO - Martin and team-mates celebrate his second
Lambert also had a word for the Canaries' Yellow Army: " We had 2,000 here today and we could have had a lot more, as I've said before they have been fantastic for us this season following us everywhere in their droves.
"I'm pretty sure that today was sweet for them after what happened on the opening day of the season. We will do everything we can to try and go up this season, but for this moment in time I hope we gave them something to feel happy about today."
Lambert praised his in-form strike force: "As I've said before about Chris Martin, 21 years of age, and what a terrific finisher he is. Holty does what he does best for you, and even young Oli Johnson come on and gets a good goal for himself, our finishing today was quality."
