Norwich City boss Paul Lambert praised skipper Grant Holt after another late, late show by the Canaries.

Holt – who had earlier blazed one over the bar when one-on-one with Royals keeper Adam Federici - struck with just seconds left on the clock to give City a 2-1 home win over 10-man Reading.

'He deserved a goal the amount of chances he had, and sometimes when you see the whites of the goalkeeper's eyes it is not as easy as a lot of people think and his goal was excellent,' said Lambert.

It was the third home game in a row that City have struck late, but Lambert says luck doesn't play a part.

'I thought we were excellent,' he said. 'I thought we deserved to win the game when it was 11 v 11, I thought we were right on the ascendancy. I thought their goalkeeper was excellent.

'It is easy to sit here and tell lies, which I won't do – I just have a great belief that the lads have a great desire and spirit to go to the last kick of the ball and that again proved how close knit a group they are.

'I don't think it is luck. It comes from the individual themselves and it comes collectively, with how well they are playing, to win games. That is the big thing I can compliment them on – they have a terrific never say die attitude. That can take you a long, long way it really can.'

'The goalkeeper was excellent,' said Royals boss Brian McDermott. 'For anyone to come to Norwich in the form they are in at the moment you need your goalkeeper to play well and I feel for Adam today that he has not been in a side that has got a result, but his own performance was excellent.'