Norwich City skipper Grant Holt felt it was simply one of those days as Swansea City blew the Championship's automatic promotion race wide open again.

The Canaries' 3-0 defeat at the Liberty Stadium was a tough one to take for the Canaries, who remain second in the table – one point ahead of Swansea and Cardiff.

And while the scoreline was harsh on City given their second half efforts, Holt admitted the fact they lost was enough.

'It's not about the three, we just don't like getting beat,' said Holt, who signed a new three-year deal last week and celebrates his 30th birthday when Norwich travel to Watford tomorrow. 'We have built ourselves on a desire to win games and I thought the first half we weren't at the races, all of us really, and second half we dominated the game all over.

'I should have scored myself, I had a hell of a chance and if that goes in it's a different game – I think that would have made a massive difference – Korey had one, maybe the other side of the post and we're back in it.

'But we are still a point ahead, we are not in crisis mode, we will put it out of our heads and bounce on to Watford.

'I think it was just one of those days. Everything was falling the other side. In the second half we had a couple of headers that hit them and came out, and Crofty had a header that hit me on the back.

'Being fair to Swansea, they are a good side. They're not in third for no reason, they are a good team and very strong at home, so we were under no illusions it was going to be a tough game and we got that.

'But I'm more pleased with the second half performance. We came out and tried to give it a go, worked hard and we were unlucky we didn't get anything.'

Tomorrow's game at the Hornets gives Norwich a quick opportunity to get their promotion challenge on track but, according to Holt, the Canaries are not ones to dwell on a bad result anyway.

'Obviously it does help to get on the road again quickly, we are good anyway – we know once it's gone and we get in that dressing room we sort it out, we clear the air, we get sorted what we need to sort and we roll on to the next game,' said Holt.

'Once it's gone you can't do anything about it. If you go and sit in that dressing room for five hours and talk about it, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. As soon as you walk off the pitch you have got to deal with it, get it sorted and deal with the next one.

'We knew whatever happened here there would still be a lot of points to play for. Even if we won today, Swansea wouldn't have seen that as it. There are tough games and anyone can beat anyone. You look at Preston beating Swansea last week. Everyone's got tough games – it's a tough division.

'But we're in the driving seat at the minute. We are still ahead. We've got a point and we roll on to Watford and do what we do best and try not to get back to back defeats, which we haven't done yet.'

Holt could not hide a few frustrations from the evening: 'It was amazing how that multiball system all of a sudden disappears – Swansea are getting balls left, right and centre, and we're getting ready to take things and the ball disappears, so it was funny that one,' said the City skipper, who was not best pleased with the antics of Swansea goalkeeper Dorus De Vries during the last 10 minutes.

'He went down with a hammy (hamstring injury) for six minutes, and then he's ran a 70-yard diagonal to celebrate (Swansea's third goal) and screamed in my ear on the way past. I don't like that. It's a little bit disrespectful. I don't mind anyone celebrating but there's no need for someone to run by and shout stuff in your ear.'