Norwich City 2, Coventry City 2

Four goals came in the space of 11 minutes early in the second half of a Championship match played throughout in a carnival atmosphere.

Richard Keogh forced home an untidy opener for Coventry eight minutes after the break, but Norwich were level three minutes later when Holt headed home from Marc Tierney's cross before leaving the pitch to a great ovation.

His replacement, Dani Pacheco, put the Canaries 2-1 up with a superb finish after 62 minutes, but the Sky Blues were level again inside two minutes.

Lukas Jutkiewicz secured a point for the visitors when he tucked home a cross from Chris Hussey.

Paul Lambert's Championship runners-up had chances to wrap up victory in the closing stages, but they had done the hard work five days earlier by clinching promotion at Portsmouth, and the City boss grabbed the microphone after the final whistle to acknowledge supporters' part in his team's success.

Lambert named the same eleven who started the 1-0 victory at Portsmouth that clinched promotion five days earlier, with just one enforced change in the squad of 18.

With defender Rob Edwards recalled by Blackpool from his loan spell, full-back Adam Drury returned to the substitutes' bench.

Coventry were again without goalkeeper Kieren Westwood, ruled out by a shoulder injury, so fielded the same eleven who drew 0-0 against Reading last Saturday.

Two ex-Canaries featured in the starting line-up in midfield pair Sammy Clingan and David Bell.

Before kick-off, Simeon Jackson was presented with the player of the month award for April, and skipper and top scorer Holt collected the Barry Butler Memorial Trophy as player of the season for the second season in a row – the eighth player to win the award twice - with defender Russell Martin voted runner-up and Wes Hoolahan third in the poll.

The game kicked off in warm sunshine and amid a deafening wall of noise as a full house celebrated City's return to the Premier League.

Ex-Canary Bell had the first shot of the afternoon but his mishit effort was easily blocked by former Coventry man Ward.

Gunnarsson tried his luck from long range but his low effort rolled wide of Ruddy's right-hand post.

Holt was just unable to get on the end of a cross from Russell Martin after a driving run by Crofts and, as Coventry counter-attacked, Ruddy had to dive to his left to push away a powerful shot from Hussey.

Jackson sliced a shot into the crowd in the eighth minute from Norwich's best opening yet, then Hoolahan burst through the middle but fired well wide from the edge of the area.

A foul by Cranie on Jackson gave the Canaries a free-kick on the right-hand side of the penalty area, but Surman curled his dead-ball kick straight out of play.

Bell provided Baker with a good opening in the 11th minute and it took a sliding challenge from Russell Martin to divert Baker's shot over the bar for a corner.

Cranie got his head to Clingan's kick but was well off target.

Hoolahan won a corner when he burst into the penalty area and as Fox's kick came across, Whitbread's goalbound header was blocked.

Whitbread was further off target moments later with an overhead kick from Hoolahan's cross.

Coventry looked enterprising and after a mix-up between Crofts and Fox, Bell struck a low drive that Ward did well to block.

Jackson had a shot blocked at the other end after a one-two with Surman but after a busy start at both ends, there was a drinks break as Jutkiewicz received attention after a knock.

Clingan conceded a corner after a cross by Russell Martin caused problems and Holt headed wide from Surman's flag-kick.

Ruddy dived to his left to stop a shot from Jutkiewicz as Coventry pushed forward again, and King fired high and wide in the next attack.

Surman was booked for a late tackle on Baker on halfway and as Coventry pressed again, Clingan swung in a corner that Ward headed clear.

A neat passing move ended disappointingly when Hoolahan found Crofts but his attempted chip cleared the bar by a distance.

Jackson won a corner when his ambitious effort looped behind off Keogh, but Norwich were unable to profit from the flag-kick and at the other end, Baker's long-range shot was hopelessly high after a break by Clingan.

City came very close to taking the lead four minutes before the break when Holt connected with Tierney's cross but goalkeeper Quirke managed to block his goalbound header with his leg and as Crofts followed up, Clarke hacked the ball clear.

The Canaries forced a corner in the final minute of the half, Holt heading over from Surman's kick.

• HALF-TIME: Norwich City 0, Coventry City 0

Jackson earned a corner three minutes into the second half, when Clarke headed behind from his cross, but as Holt got his head to Fox's kick, the referee ruled that Keogh had been fouled.

Hussey's cross-shot was diverted out for a corner after he skated into the Norwich area, and as the Sky Blues won another corner, they took the lead with an untidy goal.

The corner was played shot to Baker whose cross was met by a header from Gunnarsson that was half-cleared to Jutkiewicz, whose low shot appeared to be touched home by Keogh on the line.

Within three minutes, however, City were level as skipper Holt scored his 23rd goal of the season.

Tierney took Surman's pass wide on the left and sent over the perfect cross for Holt to beat Quirke with a firm header.

Before play restarted, Holt made his exit, to be replaced by Pacheco and the player of the year departed to a standing ovation.

On the hour, Lambert made a second change, Lansbury replacing Surman.

Ruddy saved a long-range effort from Jutkiewicz as Coventry looked to restore their lead.

But it was the Canaries who struck the third goal in nine minutes as the two substitutes combined to produce a classic.

Lansbury held the ball up just inside the Coventry area being slipping a reverse pass to Pacheco, and the Spaniard produced a neat sidestep and perfect finish by tucking a right-foot shot past Quirke for his second goal for the club.

It became four goals in 11 minutes as Jutkiewicz brought the Sky Blues level.

Baker found Hussey on the left and his low cross into the six-yard box presented Jutkiewicz with a simple sidefoot finish.

A foul on Jackson by Clarke left him needing treatment for a bang on the head, but the resulting free-kick almost restored Norwich's lead.

Pacheco curled the kick against the crossbar and Whitbread missed a golden opportunity when he put the rebound just the wrong side of the post.

City's seventh corner found the head of Ward but his effort was blocked by Clingan, guarding the post.

With 18 minutes left, Lambert made his final change by giving Drury his first outing since February in place of Tierney.

Drury advanced and had a shot blocked as the home crowd urged the longest-serving player to get on the scoresheet.

Hoolahan sliced a shot wide after Pacheco's pass played him into space on the left side of the penalty area.

Lansbury earned a ticking-off from referee Deadman after kicking the ball down the touchline after it ran out of play and exchanging words with Clingan.

With three minutes to go, great work by Pacheco carved out an opening for Jackson, but it was clearly not to be his day and he jabbed his shot the wrong side of the post.

Pacheco had a shot blocked by Wood as he looked for his second goal of the afternoon.

In the final minute, Coventry made their third change, Eastwood replacing King.

Norwich forced one late corner as Russell Martin headed over from Fox's kick.

Then it was all over and the celebrations could begin, Tierney capturing the mood with a succession of cartwheels on the pitch before Lambert came out to address fans.

• RESULT: Norwich City 2, Coventry City 2