Charlton dropped two precious points at Carrow Road and lost top spot in League One as Grant Holt’s injury-time header rescued Norwich in a 2-2 draw.
The big striker leapt to nod home Chris Martin’s deflected cross and complete a stirring fightback, although Charlton were convinced he had fouled goalkeeper Rob Eliot in the process of scoring.

The visitors had dominated the first half for long periods and looked to be heading towards a comfortable victory as they moved 2-0 ahead within 40 minutes.

The visitors took the lead after 18 minutes when poor defending from a corner allowed Deon Burton to send a diving header past goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Phil Parkinson’s side doubled their advantage five minutes before the interval when winger Lloyd Sam weaved his way down the right flank before delivering a superb cross which was nodded home by youngster Jonjo Shelvey.

It looked as though Norwich were up against it at that stage, but they responded well to the setback and were back in it just before half-time when a quick throw from Holt caught the Charlton defence napping and Wes Hoolahan marked his return to the side by running through and firing home.

Norwich piled on the pressure after the break, with Elliot twice denying youngster Korey Smith, but Norwich got their reward in the end as Holt bundled home his sixth goal of the season.
Norwich striker Grant Holt heaped praise on his team-mate Wes Hoolahan after his goal in the Charlton draw.

The Irish midfielder looked set to move away in August, but new boss Paul Lambert has given him a fresh start.

Holt told BBC Radio Norfolk: “He played well. You put him in there and he’s a nuisance, he’s great on the ball and he’s a different option.

“Fair play to the manager, he put him in at the right time and it’s worked, we all know what Wes has got.”

Hoolahan scored in the 2-2 draw on Saturday from Holt’s quick throw, but the City skipper took no credit.

He said: “I heard the shout off Wes, I thought he was having a go at us, fortunately he got the ball and put it in.

“It was a great bit of awareness by Wes to see it was there and fortunately he put it in.”

“It shows that we’ve got the desire to win games, we never doubt the quality that we’ve got in the squad, we know we can score goals,” he said.

“Today it was a different style, we had to go for it, and we’ve done that and I think we’re unfortunate not to win the game.”

Paul Lambert said earlier that Wes Hoolahan has future at City under his leadership, hopefully this will end all the speculation and rumour concerning the player.

Lambert said of the player:

“Wes has played terrifically well in the last two reserve games and his attitude been great, as has that of the rest of the lads,” said Lambert.

“Wes has been a top player in the Championship not that long ago, but we had to try and get a bit of stability into the side and be hard to beat. But that is not to say he won’t figure in the future.”

I suppose that is as much as a confirmation as anyone will get from Lambert.  He also went onto to speak about former captain Gary Doherty who days as a City player look to be over.

“Gary has been a terrific servant for this football club, he was captain not that long ago. But sometimes you’ve got to change it and I’m not going to stagnate anyone’s career if someone comes in for him.”
Meanwhile City winger Simon Whaley has joined League Two Rochdale on a one-month emergency loan.

Whaley was signed from Preston by former manager Bryan Gunn in the summer, but has failed to start a League One fixture since Paul Lambert was appointed City boss last month.

The 24-year-old has played six games for City, three in League One and three in the Carling Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Whaley’s spell at Spotland will run from September 18 to October 18 inclusive.

“Simon needs games,” said City boss Lambert. “He came to me and asked if he could go out on loan if he wasn’t in our immediate plans, and this move gives him the chance to get some games under his belt.”

Gary Doherty has revealed he is looking to secure a move away from Norwich City after failing to break into manager Paul Lambert’s plans.

Former Tottenham defender Doherty has not featured in a League One match for the Canaries since Lambert took charge at Carrow Road last month.

The 29-year-old now appears resigned to moving on and he is weighing up his options before making a firm decision on his future.

He told the Eastern Daily Press: “The gaffer has obviously mentioned to me that he wants to bring in his own players, but I think it is up to me now whether I want to move on.

“I am looking at a few options and stuff and we will see what comes from it.

“I would rather get away, I don’t know if a loan is a good idea, but I am just going to look at my options and see what the craic is, what’s out there.

“I am just holding tight, but if the gaffer needs me he knows that I am there. We have had a few knocks to centre-halves and I have made it clear that if he needs me then I am there for him, but I am pretty far down the pecking order now so I don’t really expect to be involved.”

Frustration for City

The goals finally dried up at Carrow Road as Norwich were held to a goalless draw by a hard-working Walsall outfit.

City’s opening two league matches had produced an incredible tally of 15 goals, with a 7-1 home defeat by Colchester followed by a 5-2 victory over Wycombe.

There were no such thrills and spills this time around with the Saddlers turning in a determined defensive performance to return to the Midlands with a well-earned point.

Norwich, with two straight league wins behind them, thought they were heading for a third after 62 minutes when big defender Michael Nelson powered home a header from a Paul McVeigh corner.

But referee Russell Booth had spotted some pushing and awarded a free-kick, much to the disgust of new City boss Paul Lambert.

After a dull first half the home side had much the better of it after the break and had Walsall on the back foot for much of the time.

But although Simon Lappin and Cody McDonald went close they could find no way through with on-loan Manchester City defender Clayton McDonald absolutely outstanding.

At the other end, Walsall had their moments, mainly in the first half, and might have gone in at half time ahead had Darren Byfield not planted a free header wide after 35 minutes after a fine cross from his skipper Dwayne Mattis.

Norwich City’s 7-1 defeat by Colchester on the opening day of the season hit the club much harder than anyone expected, according to manager Paul Lambert.

Lambert, who was still in charge of the U’s when they pulled off their remarkable victory at Carrow Road four weeks ago, before he switched jobs, said the result had been a crushing blow to Norwich - but praised the players for their response, winning both his league games in charge before today’s visit of Walsall.

He said: “Considering we’ve only been here a short space of time, the players have done great. You’ve got to remember, before we came, in the club was getting criticised from right, left and centre. It was getting beaten up since the Colchester game.

“The Colchester game probably hurt this football club more than a lot of people thought, but I knew that would happen because of the size of the club that’s here.

“You just don’t get beaten that heavily and think it’s going to blow over. It was always going to be a heavy downfall but they’ve responded absolutely brilliantly.

“The lads have done it themselves. The lads have produced it. They’re the ones that deserve the most credit for what’s happened.”

Lambert said he was beginning to get an idea of his best line-up.

“You do tend to get a feel for what lads will be round about it, so you have a rough idea,” he said. “But it’s the shape of the team that’s important to me. I think if you can grasp that and the personnel can get a grip, we’ll be fine.”

There will be further opportunities to assess the younger members of his squad when City Reserves begin their campaign on Tuesday night after being re-admitted to the Totesport.com Combination East, with Southend United visiting Carrow Road (7.30pm).

“I think it is important for the younger ones,” said Lambert. “The young lads need to be playing against men, they need to step up a little bit from their own age group. It’s important to get them involved in that and I hope that’s what will happen.

“That’s what I’m looking for - for the younger ones to step up and see if they can play at a little bit higher level than they’re used to.

“If you look at the squad, a lot of them are young and haven’t kicked a ball in earnest in first team football, so you can’t really turn round and say it’s a big squad for experience because it’s not.

“The young ones have done great. How long we will get that throughout the season you don’t know because young ones tend to fluctuate with their form. And the younger lads who are nowhere near it need to play some reserve team football.”

Atricle by Evening news 24

Simon Lappin says he is enjoying his time at Norwich City after that nightmare 18 months at Carrow Road.

Lappin was frozen out by Glen Roeder two years ago and was sent to train with the club’s youth team.

Since Paul Lambert was made Norwich manager, Lappin told BBC Radio Norfolk his Canary career has improved no end.

“It’s had it’s ups and downs, but I’m enjoying it at the moment. I’m loving it, and long may it continue - I’m keeping my head down though,” he said.

“I’m working hard because I know how things can change in football.

“You can’t become complacent so I’ll keep working hard day-in, day-out.”

On his return from Scotland, Lappin was nowhere near Roeder’s first team, eventually having to suffer the insult of joining academy training.

However, since Lambert replaced Roeder’s successor Bryan Gunn in August, Lappin has blossomed and has started both of the Canaries’ League One wins under his stewardship.

The 26-year-old was even made captain for Tuesday’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy win over Brentford at Carrow Road.

“It’s always a huge honour to be given the captain’s armband,” he said. “I’m absolutely delighted to have led the team out, but the most important thing was to get into the next round.”

The 1-0 win marked City’s second consecutive clean sheet, and that is something that Lappin says Lambert is building into the team.

“That comes from the front, the strikers, you’ve got to defend as a team from the front right through midfield to the back.

“We’ve done that brilliantly the last two games, if you can keep a clean sheet, and you’ve got a good chance of nicking a goal, you’re always going to do well,” he said.