AUDIO: City boss Paul Lambert was in defiant mood after his side suffered their first away defeat for more than three months.

The Canaries' 2-1 reverse at Burnley was their first on their travels since October 30, when they were beaten 3-1 at Cardiff.

They slipped two places in the table to fourth over the weekend, but Lambert insisted: 'Keep playing like that and we'll be fine.

'When we're playing like that we're a really good side. We're right in the mix. We'll be all right.'

City trailed at the interval to Dean Marney's goal but dominated much of the second half at Turf Moor, skipper Grant Holt equalising before Jay Rodriguez claimed an 81st-minute winner for Burnley.

'I thought we were brilliant in the second half, I really did. There was only one team in it, but at the end of the day you're beaten,' said Lambert. 'So you pick yourself up and go again.'

'I thought we were in the ascendancy and Burnley had taken off a striker and tried to match us – and if anything we probably played too attacking, but that's the way we play at times.

'There are times this season when we've been beaten and I didn't think we deserved it and that was one of them.'

Lambert admitted his switch of formation, picking three central defenders and pushing the full-backs further forward, had not worked as well as he hoped.

He withdrew Zak Whitbread at half-time, brought on midfielder Simon Lappin and reverted to an orthodox back four.

'It's difficult – it's new on them. There were certain aspects that were good and some not. That's my own fault, that's not the lads – whatever I pick that's my prerogative to play,' he said.

'We thought the three of them would be really strong, which they are. I just felt we lacked a bit of attacking impetus and that's why we changed it in the second half.'

Lambert believed there was a foul on Simeon Jackson by Tyrone Mears before Burnley broke upfield for Marney's goal.

'It's a free-kick – he pushed him. I've seen it,' he said.

He also questioned the free-kick that led to Burnley's second goal by Rodriguez, awarded for a foul by Holt on Mears.

'I don't think it was anything but you've still got to defend the cross better. The ball's travelled yards so if you've got a man you pick him up,' he said.

Lambert argued that his side deserved more after matching a team two divisions above them last season.

'Burnley have just come down from the Premier League so you expect them to be strong,' he said. 'They've got a vibrant crowd and we've just come up from League One.

'So if you're asking me if I'm disappointed to lose to a team that's just come down from the Premier League, then absolutely, because we gave as good as we got.'