Lambert hails victorious Norwich

Paul Lambert praised his Norwich City players after their unexpected 2-1 victory away to Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur.

Norwich came out on top following a keenly contested English Premier League contest at White Hart Lane on Monday, thanks to goals from Anthony Pilkington and Elliot Bennett.

The win lifts Norwich up to ninth on the table, an impressive position for a team promoted as Championship runners-up last term.

“I just said to them (the players) that this was a great game of football and they came here and played a great game,” Lambert told Sky Sports.

“No one gave us a chance, they are playing against a far better side who are vying for Champions League football.

“They have everything going for them. We came here and I felt that we deserved our victory. ”

Lambert felt Norwich missed out on two clear penalties, when Ledley King tugged the shirt of Grant Halt, followed later by Emmanuel Adebayor’s foul on Aaron Wilbraham.

“I thought we had two stick ons, I really did,” he said.

“Grant said that would not have looked out of place on a rugby field that tackle, and how he has not given that I really don’t know.

“The Adebayor one I don’t know if it was in the box but it looked inside the box and looked like a penalty from where I was standing. How he’s missed that I don’t know.”

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp acknowledged his team were below-par, but remains hopeful of securing an all-important top-four finish.

“We have not been in bad form the last few weeks, but today was a setback. We had a bad day,” he said.

“We were a bit flat. I thought their front two, especially Grant Holt, bullied us a bit.

“It is all still to play for though.

“It is going to be close, but there are still five games to go. It is the team who wants it most.

“We would settle for finishing fourth, Champions League football is the key.”