MATCH STATS NORWICH CITY: Warner, Hughes, Shackell, Doherty, Drury, Croft, Safri, Etuhu, Lappin, Huckerby, Martin. Subs: Gallacher, Dublin (for Croft , 56), Fotheringham (for Safri, 42), Eagle (for Martin, 75), Renton. WEST BROM: Kiely, Albrechtsen, McShane, Sodje, Robinson, Gera, Greening, Carter, Koren, Ellington, Kamara. Subs: Daniels, Chaplow (for Ellington, 81), Koumas (for Carter, 70), Wallwork, Hodgkiss (for Gera, 90). SCORERS: Norwich: Etuhu (58) WBA: Sodje (73), Kamara (90) MAN OF THE MATCH EN & EDP: Adam Drury PinkUn Poll: Dickson Etuhu (51%) ATTENDANCE: 25,422 REFEREE: J Moss (West Yorkshire) ADDED TIME: First half: 2 mins Second half: 4 mins YELLOW CARDS: Norwich: Croft (foul on Robinson, 12), Drury (foul on Gera, 23), Shackell (foul on Albrechtsen, 50) West Brom: Robinson (foul on Martin, 66), Kamara (over-celebrating, 90) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Norwich 5, West Brom 6 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Norwich 4, West Brom 9 CORNERS: Norwich 9, West Brom 11 FOULS:  Norwich 9, West Brom 9 OFFSIDES:  Norwich 7, West Brom 0

Monday, April 10, 2007
DAVID CUFFLEY

Just as the Canaries had kissed goodbye to no fewer than nine points in stoppage time this season – with only Simon Lappin’s late, late winner at Luton to redress the balance – they were about to surrender another one as Diomansy Kamara, who rose from his sickbed to torment the hosts throughout the afternoon, powered in to head Albion’s winner, to the delight of their vocal travelling army of fans.

But whereas there had been an element of injustice in one or two of City’s injury-time mishaps over the past eight months, they could have few complaints about the scoreline this time.

It was a match, more than any other, which summed up the gap between where Norwich are in the overall scheme of things and where they need to be if they are to mount a serious promotion challenge and avoid a third consecutive season of Championship mediocrity.

True, City began brightly enough as they looked to build on the Good Friday win at Hull, but they enjoyed little more than 10 minutes in the ascendancy.

Andy Hughes, still bidding to register his first goal of the season, raised the temperature with a ninth-minute drive but was well off target.

Dickson Etuhu – looking to follow up his goal at the KC Stadium three days earlier – brought ’keeper Dean Kiely into action two minutes later but his header following Simon Lappin’s corner lacked power.

Albion shook off a slow start with Kamara firing over after 13 minutes, then Darren Carter moving on to Zoltan Gera’s pass to rattle the crossbar with another left-footer seven minutes later.

Albion had struck the woodwork five times when the two sides met at The Hawthorns in November and, for a while, there was further evidence that the goal frame was in co-operative mood.

Dickson Etuhu heads home Drury's cross to give Norwich City the lead.

Robert Koren struck a volley over the top from Jonathan Greening’s pass and, after 31 minutes, went even closer when his powerful right-foot shot struck the angle of post and bar.

The same player had another go 10 minutes before the break when he brought a save out of Tony Warner.

Apart from a Darren Huckerby effort that Kiely was right behind, the Canaries threatened little – and suffered a blow when they lost midfielder Youssef Safri with a pulled hamstring five minutes before the break.

Half-time: Norwich City 0, West Brom 0

Mark Fotheringham replaced Safri and, 10 minutes after the interval, Dion Dublin was sent on for Lee Croft in another reshuffle.

The second period started quietly and it was the hosts who got their noses in front after 57 minutes.

Andy Hughes, Mark Fotheringham and Chris Martin celebrate Dickson Etuhu's opener.

Skipper Adam Drury shrugged off the effects of losing a front tooth courtesy of Gera’s left arm and, from wide on the left, delivered the perfect cross for Etuhu to head home.

One hoped it might bolster City’s fragile confidence but, with little more than 20 minutes left, Albion introduced midfielder Jason Koumas in place of Carter and stepped up the tempo.

Warner saved again from Gera and, after 72 minutes, the scores were level.

Greening’s corner was met by the head of impressive on-loan defender Sam Sodje and although Fotheringham was well placed to head off the line, Sodje reacted fastest of all to rasp the rebound into the roof of the net.

City quickly made their final change with Robert Eagle replacing Chris Martin and Eagle set up Fotheringham for a shot that was saved by Kiely.

Fotheringham was back on his own line three minutes from time to keep out Sodje’s header with another goalline clearance, and there was anger from the Canaries as they counter-attacked and Huckerby’s path to goal was rudely impeded by Koren, referee Moss waving play on.

West Brom players and fans celebrate Diomansy Kamara's injury-time winner.

But when the dreaded four minutes went up on the fourth official’s board, one feared the worst.

In the second minute of time added on, substitute Richard Chaplow found Gera in space on the right and his cross was met by a powerful, stooping header from Kamara to seal the points – and earn him a yellow card for over-celebrating.

There was still time for drama at the other end, with penalty claims ignored as Sodje challenged Dublin in the Albion area, then Kiely producing a brilliant leap to his right to keep out Dublin’s header from a Huckerby cross with nearly five extra minutes played.

Result: Norwich City 1, West Brom 2