Paul Lambert hailed his team's 'extraordinary' efforts after a stunning night of derby football at Carrow Road on Thursday night.

The 5-1 victory was City's biggest in the long history of the East Anglian derby, but even that scoreline perhaps didn't even reflect the superiority of Lambert's side.

City's flow wasn't even disrupted when Jimmy Bullard pulled a goal back to make it 3-1 – they just went out and scored another two in the final 10 minutes.

It was sensational stuff, with 2,125 travelling fans staying behind after the final whistle to applaud their team. Lambert came out to return the compliment – and they went wild again.

'I thought my team right from the off were extraordinary in the football they played,' said Lambert.

'It was incredible, but right from the off. We were up against a team that was on fire lately and a crowd that is as vibrant as anywhere we have been.

'To come here and do what we have done I think was a big, big test of character and I thought the performance was excellent.

'I thought at Forest we were excellent. I thought at Leicester City we were outstanding. But this one is certainly up there because to go to your old rivals and do it in their backyard and win the way we did and play the way we did...'

City are back in second, and the pressure is on third-placed Cardiff, who are two points behind and face leaders QPR at home tomorrow.

'They are still in the driving seat because they can get a point more than us,' said Lambert. 'They have a really tough game against QPR, who are a win away from doing it. All we can do is win our games. That is what we have done – we have won another football match.'

Goals from Andrew Surman, Simeon Jackson, Russell Martin and Dani Pacheo, plus Gareth McAuley's own goal, did the trick for City and left the visiting fans chanting 'easy, easy,' – but not in Lambert's book.

'There is no game alive that I have been involved in that is easy,' he said. 'Every game is hard.'

SEE TOMORROW'S PINK UN FOR A DERBY PICTURE SPECIAL