GRANT Holt's 28th goal of the season and two superb saves at the death from 'keeper Fraser Forster were not enough to clinch all three points for Norwich as Swindon battled back to claim a draw.
Holt headed the visitors in front from Michael Rose's cross in the 52nd minute and when Forster denied first Alan Sheehan and then Jonathan Douglas with stunning saves in injury time, it looked as if the Canaries were on course for another victory.
But in the third minute of injury time Sheehan's corner was met with a bullet header from Gordon Greer which Forster could do nothing about and Swindon were guaranteed a share of the spoils.
After a tentative start to the game, Swindon thought they might have had a penalty following Michael Nelson's 17th-minute challenge against on-loan West Ham striker Frank Nouble, but referee Scott Mathieson was having none of it.
Just three minutes later Nelson was in action at the other end, meeting Simon Lappin's deep free-kick with a firm header from ten yards which - fortunately for the home side - flew straight at 'keeper Phil Smith.
In the 26th minute a dangerous cross from Michael Rose just eluded the on-rushing figures of Holt and Martin before flashing narrowly wide of the far post.
Chris Martin went close for the visitors in the 33rd minute, picking up a lovely pass from Hoolahan before cutting on to his left foot and dragging a low shot a couple of feet wide of the near post.
As the game approached half-time Danny Ward's 35-yard rocket produced a fingertip save from the alert Fraser Forster.
After the break City continued to push for an opener and it duly arrived in the 52nd minute after a good and concerted spell of pressure down the Canaries' left flank.
The ball was eventually worked out to Michael Rose, and his pinpoint cross was powerfully headed home by the unstoppable Holt from just inside the six-yard box.
Just before the hour-mark Chris Martin's sweetly-struck free-kick from 25 yards clipped the top of the crossbar as the Canaries looked to extend their lead.
Holt tried his luck two minutes later with a piledriver from a similar distance which arrowed just high and wide past the angle of post and bar.
At the other end Swindon's best chance of the half so far came when Ward slid in but narrowly failed to connect with McGovern's low ball into the danger area.
With six minutes of normal time remaining substitute Stephen Elliott headed over from a tight angle as he got on the end of Smith's cross to the far post.
When Forster denied first Sheehan and then Douglas with brilliant saves in the dying minutes of the match it looked as if another win was in the bag for City - but Swindon's Gordon Greer headed home deep into added time to gain a valuable point for Danny Wilson's side.
After the match Paul Lambert told First News: "I thought we'd done enough but you can never be sure until it's over. Decent point but we should have won the game.
"We could have done a bit more to keep what we had but the lads have been great this season and it's a decent point against a side who have been going very well under Danny Wilson. They got a great result over Southampton midweek and we knew it would be tough."
With 2,826 Canary fans cheering the Canaries on at the County Ground, Lambert paid tribute to them for their support - and said everybody at the Club is now looking forward to next Saturday's eagerly-awaited clash with Leeds United at Carrow Road.
"We had a great following here once again, we have made sure we didn't get beat and we're still obviously right in the mix with other results not really going in anyone else's favour.
"Leeds will be a brilliant game, I'm sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere at Carrow Road as usual and it's one the supporters will be really looking forward to. That's what it's all about, big games like that."
Pictures courtesy of Lawrence Smith, Swindon Town Football Club Photographer
