Premier League
May 4, 2013 3.00pm
1
2
HT : 0 0
FT
  • Bradley Johnson 59' yellowcard
  • Grant Holt 74' goal
  • Ryan Bennett 90' yellowcard
  • yellowcard Joseph Bennett 17'
  • yellowcard Fabian Delph 54'
  • goal Gabriel Agbonlahor 55'
  • yellowcard Christian Benteke 68'
  • goal Gabriel Agbonlahor 89'

Live Commentary: Norwich City 1-2 Aston Villa - as it happened

Norwich 1-2 Villa - as it happened

Paul Lambert took his in-form Aston Villa side to former club Norwich City this afternoon, with both teams hoping to reach the magical 40-point mark in the Premier League.

It was Villa who took all three points thanks to Gabriel Agbonlahor's two goals either side of Grant Holt's penalty.

Read how it all unfolded in sunny Norfolk in our minute-by-minute updates below.

4.56pmThanks for joining Sports Mole this afternoon. Make sure you now head over to our coverage of QPR vs. Arsenal (KO 5.30pm) with Liam Apicella. See you soon.
4.55pmYou can find the latest Premier League table by clicking here and see all of today's results here.
4.54pmNorwich are just three points ahead of Wigan, who have a game in-hand and the Canaries will definitely be looking over their shoulders now.
4.52pmA second successive win for Villa and they're now five points clear of the drop zone.
90+6 minFULL-TIME: Norwich 1-2 Villa
90+4 minVilla race down the other end and Weimann could shoot but instead tries to pull it back for Benteke but Bassong is there to clear the danger.
90+4 minJUST WIDE! Oh so close to an equaliser! Guzan makes a strange decision to come and claim Kamara's cross and he doesn't get there, allowing Holt to head at goal but he loops it agonisingly wide.
90+2 minNORWICH SUB: Hughton tries to shake things up by bringing on Simeon Jackson for Javier Garrido. Just two minutes for the Canaries to find a leveller.
90 minFour minutes added on in Norfolk.
89 minGABBY! It's Agbonlahor's second of the game and another fine finish. He is played in down the inside-right channel by Westwood and holds off Bassong before drilling across Bunn into the far corner. Villa on course to reach 40 points.
89 minGOAL! Norwich 1-2 Villa (Agbonlahor)
88 minAlmost a winner for the hosts as a long crossfield ball is nodded down by Kamara and there's Holt to volley it on the turn but it flies just wide of the near post.
86 minNORWICH SUB: Snodgrass is taken off for Elliot Bennett and that means that there are now three Bennetts on the pitch. Elliot and Ryan for Norwich and Joe for Villa.
4.40pmUPDATE! More goals at West Brom and Fulham! Amazingly Wigan now lead at The Hawthorns thanks to Callum McManaman while Reading have restored their two-goal advantage. They lead 4-2.
82 minInto the final 10 minutes then and we're all level at Carrow Road. Villa started the second half better but Norwich have been much better since the equaliser.
78 minVILLA SUB: Lambert makes his second change as Brett Holman replaces the energetic Sylla in midfield.
4.34pmUPDATE: Maybe a Fulham comeback is on the cards?! Ruiz has just headed in his second to make it 3-2.
77 minNorwich have brought on Kei Kamara for Hoolahan and that's really boosted the Canaries' attack at the moment.
4.33pmUPDATE: A Fulham comeback looks unlikely as Adam Le Fondre makes it 3-1 to Reading at Craven Cottage.
74 minFriend had no choice but to point to the spot for Bennett's tug/push on Snodgrass. Holt took responsibility and sent Guzan the wrong way, by placing it firmly in the bottom-right corner.
74 minGOAL! Norwich 1-1 Villa (Holt)
73 minPENALTY TO NORWICH! Bennett is penalised for bringing down Snodgrass.
72 minBack to Carrow Road and yet again it's Villa on the counter but this time it doesn't quite work out.
4.27pmUPDATE: Fulham pull one back against Reading as Bryan Ruiz slots home.
68 minChristian Benteke is a lucky, lucky boy. He's just grabbed Bassong by the throat right in front of the referee but Friend lets him off with just a yellow card.
67 minJUST WIDE! This really is lovely from Villa. Again it's Agbonlahor who goes close, this time exchanging passes with Benteke before fizzing a left-foot effort just wide.
4.21pmUPDATE: Goals elsewhere as Wigan equalise against West Brom once more before Reading open up a two-goal lead at Fulham.
64 minAll Villa now as Delph turns on the edge of the area before lifting an effort tamely over the crossbar.
62 minMISS! This trio of Villa forwards really are superb on the counter. This time it's Agbonlahor who streaks away down the left. He then picks out Weimann in the area but he can't volley home from just a couple of yards, poking it over on the stretch.
60 minCHANCE! Big mix-up at the back post sees Norwich squander a great chance to level. Garrido's deep cross looked perfect for his fellow full-back Martin but Hoolahan headed in front of him.
59 minThat goal sends Villa up to 14th and eight points clear of the drop zone as things stand.
55 minGreat strike, this. Agbonlahor streaks clear of Pilkington before driving straight at the Norwich defence. Howson comes across to try and shepherd him away but the striker is too clever, shifting it onto his right burying it into the far corner from 20 yards.
55 minGOAL! Norwich 0-1 Villa (Agbonlahor)
55 minGOAL! Norwich 0-1 Villa (Agbonlahor)
53 minDown the other end and it's Norwich who have a pop at goal through Holt. Howson did really well to hold it up on the edge of the box before laying off to the striker who blazed his effort way over the bar.
52 minWestwood clips a free kick to the back post and it's headed out for a corner but that too comes to nothing.
50 minGroans from the home fans as Snodgrass overruns the ball down the right. Much of this game has been played in the midfield third of the pitch, with Benteke spurning perhaps the best chance of the match minutes ago.
46 minCHANCE! Almost an instant goal for Villa as Benteke flicks the ball over Bennett and bears down on goal. The Belgian's finish is weak though and easy for Bunn to get down and smother.
4.01pmOut trot the players into the Carrow Road sunshine. The second half is about to begin. No changes from either manager. Remember, Lambert was forced into that early change when Lowton picked up a problem.
3.57pmTo view the latest Premier League table with results as they are now, click here. Villa are currently moving up one spot to 15th while Norwich will remain a point and a place higher.
3.53pmClick here to read our half-time reports from the top flight.
3.51pmLATEST SCORES! Here are the latest scores in the Premier League:

Fulham 0-1 Reading
Swansea 0-0 Man City
Spurs 0-0 Southampton (kicked off at 3.30pm)
West Brom 1-1 Wigan
West Ham 0-0 Newcastle
3.47pmAgbonlahor tried to score with basically the last kick but was superbly blocked by Bennett. Friend brings the half to a close after just one additional minute and we're still goalless in Norfolk.
45+2 minHALF-TIME: Norwich 0-0 Villa
45 minOFF THE BAR! Villa look to end the half on a high as Agbonlahor's cross is deflected high into the air by Garrido and it bounces on top of the bar. The resulting corner is cleared by Snodgrass and half time is on its way.
42 minGarrido with a great cross in from the left that bounces just ahead of Hoolahan but there's Holt who heads high and wide. The big man was a little on his heels there.
3.39pmUPDATE: Wigan equalise against West Brom as Arouna Kone heads home. A Latics victory there will make both of these sides desperate for three points.
37 minBetter from Villa as Benteke lays it out to Weimann on the right of the area. He tries to fizz it back across goal but it's deflected into the hands of Bunn at the near post.
35 minSnodgrass does indeed take it but it goes straight into the midriff of a man in the wall. The ball pops back for the Scot and his low effort is held comfortably by Guzan.
33 minFree kick to Norwich right on the edge of the area as Baker hauls down Snodgrass, who will be favourite to take this.
3.30pmUPDATE: The second goal of the afternoon comes at The Hawthorns as West Brom take the lead against Wigan. That goal will be music to the ears of both sets of fans at Carrow Road as Wigan could be on their way down. Meanwhile, they've just kicked off at White Hart Lane in that Spurs-Southampton game that was delayed because of traffic.
27 minVILLA SUB: The youngster hobbles off and that breaks his run of playing every minute of every Premier League game this term. Everton's Leighton Baines is now the only outfield player to have played every minute of this campaign.
27 minBad news for Villa as Lowton appears to have picked up an ankle problem and Lichaj is being readied on the bench.
23 minNorwich have a free kick right of centre and it's perfect for their set-piece king Snodgrass. He curls it towards the back post and Ryan Bennett is there but heads it down and straight at Guzan.
19 minAs I came in so late I wasn't able to bring you team news from today's match. Instead, you can click here to see today's lineups.
17 minBOOKING! The first name to go into referee Kevin Friend's book is Villa's Bennett for climbing all over the back of Snodgrass.
14 minSHOT! Mark Bunn is tested properly for the first time as Weimann cuts in from the right and fires a left-foot effort low towards the near post.
3.14pmUPDATE: There's five other 3pm kickoffs in the Premier League and the first goal has just come at Craven Cottage as already-relegated Reading take the lead against Fulham thanks to Hal Robson-Kanu's penalty. The game at White Hart Lane between Spurs and Southampton has been delayed by half an hour because of traffic issues in North London.
12 minAt Carrow Road we haven't missed a goal as it's still goalless in sunny Norfolk.
3.10pmGood afternoon folks! Apologies for my lateness but I've just been covering one of the craziest ever finishes to a season in the Championship. Read how it all unfolded here.
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