Norwich 2 - 1 Notts Forest: Match report

Goal scorer. Grant Holt bagged his 20th goal of the season in the 2-1 win

Norwich clawed back into the automatic promotion places, albeit temporarily, after returning to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at home to Nottingham Forest tonight.

Having now gone ten games at Carrow Road without defeat, the Canaries will be hoping that Portsmouth put an end to Cardiff’s unbeaten run when they visit Wales tomorrow afternoon.

First half goals from Grant Holt and Andrew Surman were enough to secure the three points after Nathan Tyson had given Forest the lead early on.

The defeat means that Forest remain outside the playoff places with four games to go, with Leeds having the chance to extend the gap between sixth and seventh when they host Watford tomorrow afternoon.

For the opening 45 minutes, the game was intense and entertaining but Norwich got a grip on the match and held on tight to see out the result in the second period.

Forest got off to the dream start three minutes in when a clearance from Norwich keeper John Ruddy smashed the ball straight into Nathan Tyson, who was chasing a hopeful pass. It drifted in silencing the Carrow Road crowd and giving Billy Davies’ men the lucky break they felt they deserved after some misfortune in recent weeks.

In an explosive start to the match, Norwich immediately upped the tempo and got the response they wanted. Former Forest man and Norwich captain Grant Holt, fresh from passing a late fitness test, leapt high to head home a David Fox free kick to grab his 20th league goal of the season and restore the balance just seven minutes after conceding.

Both teams had chances to go ahead, Lewis McGugan was denied a Forest goal by Zak Whitbread on the goal line and Guy Moussi’s effort from 12 yards hit the post. At the other end, Forest keeper Lee Camp thwarted a golden chance for Norwich, closing down Simeon Jackson in a one-on-one. Jackson later had the ball in the net only to be caught mildly offside.

Slightly against the run of play in an entertaining first half, Norwich took the lead on 38 minutes when Andrew Surman beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Camp. Clapping in the stands, Canaries director Delia Smith would have been proud of Surman’s tasty finish to a delicious move.

Surman and Jackson both had good efforts for Norwich shortly after the restart, but Paul Lambert’s side seemed happy to keep Forest at arm’s length and hold on to their lead.

The away team could not create the clear cut chances or make the luck they had during the first 45 minutes. McGugan’s shot from range, which sailed over, proved their best effort of the second period.

Man-of-the-match Jackson came close twice towards the end, heading narrowly wide and hitting the post with a left-footed effort.

It got worse for Forest in stoppage time when on-loan Liverpool left back Paul Konchesky was sent off. Having mouthed off to the referee in the first half, a needless challenge confirmed an early bath for Konchesky.