Onel Hernández scored deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic 2-1 turnaround victory against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
Scott Hogan had put the hosts in front early in the second period, but Andrew Omobamidele levelled after converting a loose ball following a dangerous Marcelino Nunez free kick.
And deep into seven minutes of added time sub Hernández latched onto Teemu Pukki’s pass before firing home the winner against the club he spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at.
Dean Smith made two changes to the starting team that had previously secured three points at Sunderland.
There were first league starts of the season for Sam Byram and Villa loanee Aaron Ramsey. They replaced the injured Liam Gibbs and Onel Hernández, who dropped to the bench.
Norwich started the game with a spring in their step. The lively Marcelino Núñez saw plenty of the ball, whilst Byram and Ramsey combined well down the left flank.
The first goalscoring opportunity of the game came in the 12th minute, with a slick City move down the right side involved Núñez, Danel Sinani and Max Aarons. The latter raced to the byline before pulling the ball back to an unmarked Kieran Dowell, whose first-time volley whistled wide of the post.
The game settled down midway through the opening period. Norwich generally looked the more comfortable in possession, but goalmouth action was limited.
As half time approached, City fashioned a string of half-chances.
Byram raced onto Sinani’s clever through pass but was thwarted by ex-City goalkeeper John Ruddy when in the clear, whilst Josh Sargent muscled his way through a ruck of Birmingham defenders before seeing a shot from a tight angle cleared.
And right before the interval Sinani stung the palms of Ruddy with a shot from 30 yards.
Minutes into the second half, the Yellows found themselves a goal down. A deflected cross from the left was converted by Hogan on 50 minutes, leaving City with work to do.
Troy Deeney then fired over the bar following a cross from the right, as the hosts enjoyed a spell of pressure.
Smith then introduced a flurry of second-half substitutes that once again impacted the game and the equalising goal came on 63 minutes.
Núñez’s pinpoint free-kick was clawed away by Ruddy, but in the ensuing goalmouth scramble Omobamidele was alert to fire home a loose ball and draw City level. From there on it was one-way traffic.
Substitute Hernández was a livewire down the left side following his introduction. He crossed for Pukki on 68 minutes, but the Finland international could only fire wide.
Constant pressure eventually told deep into stoppage time. Pukki controlled a ball forward before feeding Hernandez. He steadied himself before firing through the legs of the onrushing Ruddy, much to the delight of the travelling 1,685 Norwich supporters.
Hernández’s goal secured City’s fourth league win on the spin.
Next up we face Coventry City at home on Saturday, September 3.
Birmingham City: Ruddy, Williams (Campbell 89), Sanderson (Hall 52), Trusty, Roberts, Hogan (Mejbri 60), Bacuna (James 89), Deeney (C), Graham, Chang, Gardner
Subs not used: Etheridge, Bellingham, Leko
Goals: Hogan (50)
Bookings: Williams (9), Bacuna (61), Trusty (71), Deeney (71)
Norwich City: Krul, Aarons, Omobamidele, Hanley (C), Byram (Cantwell 84), Dowell (Hernández 59), Ramsey (Sara 74), McLean, Núñez, Sinani (Pukki 59), Sargent (Idah 84)
Subs not used: Gunn, Gibson
Goals: Omobamidele (63), Hernández (90+3)
Bookings: Dowell (11), Omobamidele (71), Aarons (80), Hernández (90+4)
Venue: St Andrew's
Referee: Keith Stroud
HT: 0-0
FT: 1-2
Attendance: 16,156