Bristol City 2-1 Norwich City
Adam Baker reports from Ashton Gate
Steve Brooker enjoyed a dream return to Ashton Gate by heading in a last-gasp winner for City against Norwich.
His first goal for 14 months, his first appearance in BS3 for almost a year - the striker may never score a more important goal.
Deep into three minutes of stoppage time City had a halfway line free kick with the scores locked at 1-1 following a fightback from plucky Norwich side.
The ball was hoisted long by Jamie McAllister and flicked on by Michael McIndoe, with Brooker in the right place at the right time to head in the winner.
City had been in front through Dele Adebola's fifth goal in red colours, but Darren Huckerby cancelled that out midway through the second period.
The home side's winless run looked to be extending to six games until Brooker came up trumps and headed his club top of the Championship.
City began brightly with McAllister warming the hands of David Marshall from 30 yards and Adebola heading a McIndoe corner kick just wide of the mark.
On a slippery surface Bradley Orr tested Marshall with a low shot that needed pushing around the post, and Adebola nodded another effort over the bar from the resultant corner.
Norwich came into the game as it wore on and almost took the lead with their first menacing attack on 27 minutes. Canaries skipper Mark Fotheringham found space down the right to swing in a cross to the near post and Dion Dublin's bullet header rebounded back off the crossbar.
Still reeling from that near miss, City allowed Huckerby to waltz in from the right moments later and really test Adriano Basso with a low shot down to his right.
City were denied by the woodwork themselves on 39 minutes as Jamie McCombe turned forward and shifted past two Norwich defenders with the drop of a shoulder. With space on the edge of the box McCombe teased a curling shot beyond Marshall's outstretched arms and against the inside of the post, only for the ball to bounce back across the goal-line to safety.
No matter, City had their opener just two minutes later. Marshall could only parry out a downward McIndoe header following Orr's right-wing cross and Adebola was perfectly placed to bundle in the rebound from a couple of yards.
The half-time interval did nothing but dampen City's impetus following the opener. The hosts also lost Lee Johnson at half-time - having only passed a pre-match fitness test on his injured ankle to play, the midfielder was replaced by Nick Carle.
Jamie Cureton had spent 13 games prior to this match trying to score against his old adversaries and he came close straight after the break with a low driven shot just wide of the upright.
Dublin was next to take aim at the home goal on 57 minutes but the experienced striker lent back and drove his shot from the edge of the box over the top.
The Canaries continued to pile on the pressure and McCombe did enough to deny Cureton from close range on 69 minutes - but the visitors' equaliser wasn't too far away.
Maceo Rigters did well down the left to set-up Huckerby in the penalty area and he executed an exquisite curling effort into the far corner to restore parity.
Brooker and Ivan Sproule were introduced as Gary Johnson looked to reignite City's attacking play with time ticking away.
Another substitute, Norwich's Ched Evans had two efforts from distance saved by Basso in the dying moments, before Brooker's dramatic winner saw Ashton Gate erupt.
