Chirpy Canaries ready for City

RUSSELL MARTIN believes Norwich’s victory against QPR can act as catalyst in their tough-looking upcoming fixtures.

The Canaries defender captained the side to an impressive 2-1 defeat of their fellow promoted side at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Martin broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when reacting quickest during a melee in the six-yard box, before Luke Young struck a second-half equaliser.

Norwich secured victory when substitute Grant Holt nodded home and Martin praised the attitude and aptitude shown by his team-mates.

“We said this week it was a big one, on the back of two defeats, and against someone we expect to be around us as well,” he said.

“These are the teams we need to measure ourselves against and I think we got the result we deserved.

“We needed this. It comes in between really tough games — Arsenal and Manchester City.

“It doesn’t get much tougher than that, but every week is tough in this league. Next week is probably going to be one of the toughest games of the season going up there and trying to stop them because they’re in really good form.

“But the way we play as a team, we will go up there expecting to get a result because that is how we do it.’’

Norwich netted the winner after a spell of concerted QPR dominance, which ended when boss Paul Lambert brought on Holt and Wes Hoolahan with 20 minutes to play.

While Lambert dismissed his influence on the result, Martin was quick to praise his manager.

“I think the gaffer has shown over the past two years [that he makes great substitutions],” he said.

“He is willing to make a change and more often that not, in fact most of the time, they work. They were great changes.

“Wes has come on and done what he does. He is hard to play against.

“For Holty it has been tough being in and out of the side when he is used to playing week in, week out.

“But he is still our leader on and off the pitch and the way he carries himself makes him a big, big character.

“He has come off the bench and I am really pleased for him.”

By contrast, QPR manager Neil Warnock was far from pleased as his side came away from Norfolk without at least a point.

The Rs boss was also revealed his frustrations at the Premier League’s “scandalous” decision to prevent QPR making an emergency loan signing after both first-choice goalkeepers were injured.

Paddy Kenny and Brian Murphy have both been ruled out for the next month, forcing Warnock to play third-choice keeper Radek Cerny at Norwich.

“I thought Radek was faultless,” he said.

“He even looked the part in that pink top.

“He showed me and I said, ‘bloody hell, Rade, we can’t miss you today’.

“If he isn’t in goal over the next month we are in the sh... sugar!

“We will probably ask somebody from the Premier League to join us.”