Norwich have all but sealed Premiership football for next season after their first campaign back in the top flight having narrowly beaten Wolves at Carrow Road. The victory lifts them up to 11th place on 39 points, while the defeat leaves Wolves three points adrift at the foot of the table and probably condemns them to relegation as well.
Terry Connor's side opened the scoring when Matt Jarvis finished off a sweeping run and cross by Michael Knightly, but the Canaries hit back immediately with Grant Holt expertly chipping the keeper. The Canaries completed the turnaround in first half stoppage time, with Holt converting from the penalty spot.
Having scored twice, City's leading striker also picked up a brace of yellow cards, leaving his side to play the last five minutes of normal time with ten men.
Paul Lambert had sprung a major surprise bringing Simon Lappin from out of the cold to hand the Scottish midfielder only his second premiership start & the first at home this season.
That was part of the five changes that he made from the side that narrowly lost 1-0 at Newcastle last weekend, to start with an unfamiliar 3-5-2 with Lappin and Elliott Bennett playing as wingbacks with Simeon Jackson and Holt coming in up front. Russell Martin and Wes Hoolahan were recalled to add more attaching intent to the City line-up.
Out went Adam Drury and Anthony Pilkington, while Kyle Naughton, Steve Morison and Andrew Surman dropped to the bench.
Wolves were missing the suspended Ronald Zubar and injured David Davis, with Kevin Foley dropping to the bench. This meant starts for Eggert Jonsson, Roger Johnson and the influential Michael Kightly.
Wolves were the first to show pushing City back and it was a surprise that they didn't take the lead, but had to wait until the 25th minute. In just the second minute Kightly's free-kick from wide on the right, was headed on by Kevin Doyle although the home keeper got down quickly to save at the second attempt.
After City's sluggish opening spell, they did gradually get into the game and from a David Fox corner Zak Whitbread so very nearly opened the scoring, but his goal bound header was cleared off the line by Kightly.
When Wolves did score, it was almost against the run of play! Richard Steerman set Kightly away down the right and having got round Zak Whitbread, the midfielder cut the ball back in to the area. It came off Doyle and fell kindly for Matt Jarvis, who stroked the ball home past the despairing dive of John Ruddy
Their lead lasted seconds as from the kick off City replied through Holt. Jackson fed the ball through to him in the area, although he still had much to do to beat Wayne Hennessey. He sublimely lifted the ball over the keeper, before heading the ball home for good measure.
Having got back in to the game so quickly, City then controlled the possession for long periods utilising the wing play of Lappin and Bennett. There was a brief respite for Wolves when the lively Kightly got in behind Lappin, but then he could only fire his shot into the side netting.
The Canaries sustained pressure finally paid off moments before the half-time break. Holt's shot was cleared by Stephen Ward, but only as far as Lappin who swiftly returned it to Hoolahan, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by the arms of Jonsson. Holt coolly stepped up to blast the spot-kick straight down the middle as Hennessey dived to his right.
HALF-TIME: City 2 Wolves 1
Lambert was obviously concerned with how easily Kightly was getting past Lappin, so replaced him at the start of the second-half with Naughton. It would be unfair to criticise Lappin, who hadn't played first-team football since last autumn.
This change saw City revert to their more familiar diamond formation with a more traditional back four and much more comfortable with the ball and in possession starting this half more in control than the start of the game.
Twice within a minute the pacey Jackson got in behind the Wolves defence, before Wolves earned their first corner of the match in the 52nd minute. But it was a poor delivery and easily cleared.
With a third of the game remaining, the Wolves boss made a double change, bringing on Nenad Milijas and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, in place of Jonsson and the ineffective Kevin Doyle respectively.
Moments later, Lambert made his first change of the afternoon sacrificing the pace of Bennett for the midfield solidity of Surman.
Jackson continued to be a pain in the Wolves backside, so it was a surprise when he was replaced by Morison. It was not a surprise that he received a standing ovation from the home faithful, appreciative of his tenacious efforts to chase everything, even lost causes. The only disappointment was that he was not rewarded with a goal.
The home side continued to dominate the play and in the 81st minute Holt thought he'd got his and City's third goal, only to be ruled out for a foul by Morison in the build up.
Holt was then involved again when trying to recover the ball, the ref adjudged that he'd fouled Kightly than getting the ball first, which he and Canary fans alike thought he had. Harshly, Mark Clattenburg deemed it a yellow card offence and with it being his second caution was then showed the red card.
After the Canaries strikers dismissal City could hardly get hold of the ball, with the visitors desperately trying to get an equaliser ensuring an anxious finish to the game for the capacity home crowd.
As the four minutes of added time began, Whitbread conceded a freekick just a yard outside the area. But the City wall stood firm to Ebanks-Blake shot and Milijas' follow-up from the rebound was blocked as well to seal Wolves' fate.
FULL-TIME: City 2 Wolves 1