Leicester City 2, Norwich City 3

Hoolahan scored the first goal and won the penalty for the second - leaving spot-kick duties to skipper Grant Holt after his ill-judged attempt against Preston at the weekend - before Aaron Wilbraham struck his first goal for the Canaries to complete an impressive victory over play-off hopefuls Leicester City.

City's ability to produce their best on the big occasion came to the fore once again as they competed on equal terms in a keenly contested first half but took a firm grip after the interval with those two early goals.

More than 2,200 visiting fans were there to witness the Canaries' eighth away victory of the campaign and disgruntled home fans were filing out of the stadium 10 minutes before the end.

At half-time at 1-1 it was still anybody's game after Richie Wellens replied for Leicester within three minutes of Hoolahan's 21st-minute opener, but Norwich were well in control after the break.

Defender Zak Whitbread recovered from a back problem to keep his place but there was one change after the 1-1 draw with Preston with striker Aaron Wilbraham replacing midfielder Henri Lansbury.

There was little time to draw breath in the opening half as play swung from end to end.

Elliott Ward cut out a centre from Kyle Naughton as Leicester threatened early on, and the hosts forced the first two corners with five minutes gone, Sol Bamba heading just wide from Oakley's kick.

David Fox curled a free-kick just over the top for City, but another Leicester corner had Yakubu heading wide.

A foul by Bamba on Grant Holt gave City a free-kick that Andrew Surman failed to get past the first man but with 14 minutes gone, Surman almost gave them the lead when he connected with a cross by Crofts but Bamba made a vital block.

Darius Vassell wriggled into Norwich territory after 19 minutes before letting fly left-footed by goalkeeper John Ruddy was right behind the shot.

There was joy for the Canaries in the 21st minute when Hoolahan, the villain of Saturday's bungled penalty, gave them the lead with his 10th goal of the season.

Russell Martin won a corner on the right and Hoolahan was unchallenged as he met Surman's kick with a perfect near-post header.

Within three minutes, however, Leicester were level when Bruno Berner's cross from the left was met by the unmarked Richie Wellens, whose header Ruddy got a hand to but could not keep out.

Crofts could have made it 2-1 as City hit back but headed over from Surman's cross.

Ruddy saved from Yakubu and as play flowed from end to end, Surman flashed a header wide from Marc Tierney's centre.

Andy King missed two chances to make it 2-1, firing wide from a clear opening before heading wide from Berner's centre.

Three minutes before the break there was an almighty scramble in the six-yard box as Ward got his head to Wellens' cross and Ruddy was unable to gather but City survived and as they broke, Surman curled a left-footer just off target.

Surman brought goalkeepeer Ricardo into action with a low drive after Holt had nodded on Russell Martin's cross, and Wellens brought a busy half to an end by floating an effort over the bar.

• HALF-TIME: Leicester City 1, Norwich City 1

Within three minutes of the restart, the Canaries has regained the lead when Hoolahan was tripped going to meet Russell Martin's cross and referee Foy pointed to the spot.

There were protests from the hosts, but skipper Holt put the ball on the spot and thumped home a confident penalty for his 17th goal of the season.

Surman could have made it 3-1 six minutes later but headed wide from a cross by Holt when he was left unmarked.

Leicester made their first change in the 57th minute, with Martyn Waghorn replacing Vassell but he had been on the field less than a minute when Wilbraham made it 3-1 to the Canaries with his first goal for the club.

Receiving the ball on the left side of the penalty area, he cut inside on to his right foot and drilled in a low shot that was deflected off Ben Mee past Ricardo.

Leicester skipper Oakley was booked in the 64th minute, the first yellow card of the evening, for a foul on Hoolahan as the home crowd became more and more frustrated. It was Oakley's last contribution to the evening as he made way for Paul Gallagher with a quarter of the match remaining.

The Canaries were looking well in control as the match entered final 20 minutes and the hosts made their final substitution in the 75th minute with Lloyd Dyer sent on in place of goalscorer Wellens.

Wilbraham had drawn great coinfidence from his goal and sent Ricardo sprawling to his right to save his low drive with 12 minutes to go.

Gallagher had a shot deflected wide as the Foxes tried to mount a late rally.

Hoolahan made way for Korey Smith four minutes from time, his evening's work complete.

Two minutes from time, Holt robbed Mee but his attempt to find Wilbraham at the far post was cut out by the diving Ricardo.

In the last minute of stoppager time, Gallagher curled in a free-kick for a consolation goal.

• RESULT: Leicester City 2, Norwich City 3

• Leicester City: Ricardo; Naughton, Bamba, Mee, Berner; Oakley, Abe, King, Wellens; Yakubu, Vassell.

Subs: Weale, Vitor, Teixeira, Schlupp, Gallagher (for Oakley, 66), Dyer (for Wellens, 75), Waghorn (for Vassell, 57).

• Norwich City: Ruddy; Russell Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Tierney; Fox, Crofts, Surman, Hoolahan; Holt, Wilbraham.

Subs: Rudd, Drury, Edwards, Korey Smith (for Hoolahan, 86), McNamee, Lansbury, Jackson.

• Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)

• Attendance: 24,398 (2,235 City)

• Goals: Leicester: Wellens (24), Gallagher (90). Norwich: Hoolahan (21), Holt (pen, 48), Wilbraham (58).

• Bookings: Leicester: Oakley (64)

• Time Added: 2 mins/3 mins

• Man of the Match: Grant Holt

• MATCH STATS

• Shots on: Leicester 4, Norwich 6

• Shots off: Leicester 8, Norwich 4

• Fouls: Leicester 11, Norwich 9

• Corners: Leicester 6, Norwich 3

• Offsides: Leicester 0, Norwich 3