Lappin: All for one, one for all

Midfielder Simon Lappin hailed the 'all for one and one for all' attitude that has underpinned Norwich City's League One title challenge - after a dramatic victory at Brighton extended their lead at the top of the table.

Late goals from Grant Holt and Gary Doherty gave the Canaries a 2-1 success at the Withdean Stadium that looked unlikely with 10 minutes to go.

But the game could have been out of reach had it not been for vital goalline clearances by Michael Nelson and Lappin while City trailed 1-0 to Elliott Bennett's first-half free-kick.

Nelson stretched to keep out Glenn Murray's close-range shot in the first half, while Lappin hooked Murray's header from a corner off the line after the break.

But it's all part of the service, according to the Scottish midfielder - with each team member contributing to City's success.

He said: 'You've got jobs to do at set pieces, defending and attacking. Mine was actually from a corner but Michael's was from open play and it was a great block on the line.

'But that's what we've been able to do. We've been able to defend our goal and get whatever we can in front of it, and we managed to keep the ball out of the net which was great.

'If you end up popping up at right-back it's just one of those things. You've just got to get on with it.

'As defenders and midfielders you have got to throw themselves in front of balls and take the hit at times, and if it saves a goal then great.

'It's OK to say that we've cleared them off the line but the boys at the other end have gone and scored the goals as well, so all over it's a great team effort.'

City were not at their best but were rewarded for throwing caution to the wind in the closing stages, with five attacking players on the field.

Said Lappin: 'The onus is on us to go and win games if we want to achieve anything and we've got to have that all over the park.

'It's not just the front three, or big Fraser with great saves and the back four. It's everybody. And it's not just eleven, it's the boys on the bench who are going to come on and it's the whole squad.'

City had chances to take an early lead but Bennett's goal took the wind out of their sails.

'In the first half I don't think we created too many chances but we knew we had to do better in the second half,' said Lappin. 'I think, right from the, off we hemmed them in their own half and played them in their half of the park, and created chances.

'There were not too many clear-cut chances but we got a few and then we got the goals, and from then on it was a case of seeing the game out.'

Lappin said manager Paul Lambert's substitutions did the trick.

'He's done it a number of times, changing the team, and he'll put people on if he thinks they're going to go and create a chance or score a goal and it's worked again today,' said Lappin, in confident mood ahead of the visit of Southampton.

'It's a great three points and we can kick on again from here and try to go and win the next game next Saturday.

'There's a lot of hard work ahead but there's a great belief in the camp that we can go and do something.'