MATCH STATS NORWICH CITY: Green, Helveg, Fleming, Shackell, Drury, Jonson, Safri, Francis, Bentley, McKenzie, Ashton. Subs: Huckerby (for Jonson, 61), Svensson (for Bentley, 80), Holt (for McKenzie, 89), Brennan, Ward. CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Kiely, Kishishev, El Karkouri, Fortune, Young, Rommedahl, Holland, Murphy, Hughes, Johansson, Jeffers. Subs: Euell (for Hughes, 60), Thomas (for Johansson, 82), Perry, Lisbie, Andersen. SCORERS: Norwich: Svensson (88) TOP CANARY: Pink 'Un: Jason Shackell Pink 'Un Poll: Shackell (30%) ATTENDANCE: 25,459 REFEREE: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire). Taking charge of a Norwich City game for the first time. YELLOW CARDS: Norwich: Helveg (19, tug on Johansson) Charlton: El Karkouri (24, challenge on McKenzie) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Norwich 5, Charlton 5 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Norwich 5, Charlton 3 CORNERS: Norwich 8, Charlton 7 FOULS:  Norwich 8, Charlton 9 OFFSIDES:  Norwich 3, Charlton 1

Saturday April 23, 2005
RICK WAGHORN

An 88th-minute winner from substitute Mathias Svensson kept the Canaries on course for one of the Premiership's greatest ever escapes at Carrow Road this afternoon.

With West Bromwich Albion losing 4-0 at Middlesbrough, opportunity knocked loud and clear for Norwich to haul themselves off the bottom of the table, if only they could find their way past a stubborn Charlton defence.

In the end it took them 88 minutes to work out a way beyond Dean Kiely and even then had to survive a huge scare as Danny Murphy's late free-kick was deflected onto a post.

But in the end Norwich's luck and nerve held in front of their biggest crowd of the season with Addicks' old boy Svensson riding to the Canaries rescue in typically dramatic, last-gasp fashion.

The only fly in the ointment was Crystal Palace's 1-0 home win over Liverpool.

But with 10 points from their last 12 and still the easiest run in of that relegation pack, the momentum and the belief belongs to Nigel Worthington's men.

The Canaries now travel to St Mary's next Saturday, safe in the knowledge that they are now in the survival box seat after their second late, late show of an astonishing week.

As the Canaries prepared for yet another big afternoon in their quest to defy all the odds and maintain their Premiership status for at least another year, so there was only one piece of team news to ponder following Wednesday night's extraordinary 2-1 victory over Newcastle United.

It concerned Canary winger Darren Huckerby whose virus earlier in the week had limited him to just the first 45 minutes of Wednesday night's clash with the Magpies. Three days on and Huckerby was obviously still deemed too weak to start such a crunch fixture and for the first time in his Canary career the City winger - celebrating his 29th birthday - found himself named among the substitutes. All of which ensured that Mattias Jonson started the game with the only other change from midweek seeing Jim Brennan replace Marc Edworthy.

Michael Wynn-Jones and Delia Smith give it the thumbs-up as Norwich City record another vital win on the way to Premiership survival.

For the visitors, Charlton manager Alan Curbishley largely kept faith with the side that drew 0-0 at Aston Villa during the week - a result which ensured the London side had won just once in their last 10 Premiership outings.

Needless to say, skipper Matt Holland was given the traditional Norfolk welcome for a player who had spent so many seasons in Suffolk before making the switch to The Valley two years ago.

It was the visitors who kicked off, attacking the Norwich and Peterborough Stand and was soon proving without doubt that they were going to offer few easy pickings as they forced two corners within the space of the game's opening five minutes. Norwich were full of good intentions and hard running but were struggling to piece a good move together in the bright spring sunshine.

City finally started to find their passing range after 10 minutes when a combination of David Bentley and Leon McKenzie forced City's first corner of the afternoon. Bentley's delivery was excellent as it arced towards the far post where man of the moment Dean Ashton was little more than inches away from nodding home an opener. Instead, Charlton hastily cleared forcing a second corner in less than a minute. Once again Norwich's delivery was vastly the better than it had been on Wednesday night as Safri drove the ball towards the penalty spot, only for the chance to go begging.

At the other end Green had to react sharply as one-time Canary transfer target Johansson looked to break through with the City No 1 smothering bravely at the Charlton star's feet.

Leon McKenzie, Dean Ashton, Darren Huckerby and Adam Drury all race after Mathias Svensson to congratulate the striker on his 88th-minute winning goal.

The first booking of the afternoon arrived in the 19th minute and went to Canary fullback Thomas Helveg after he was adjudged to have hauled Johansson back away on the left hand touchline. Supporting evidence was not hard to find with Johansson's shirt sporting a rip half way across his shoulder.

The game's second booking arrived in the 24th minute and this time went to the visitors as Talal El Karkouri sent McKenzie sprawling with a mistimed challenge down on the left hand touchline.

By now Norwich were beginning to enjoy a greater share of possession with first Ashton and then Bentley firing goalward from 25-yards out, only for both efforts to fly narrowly over.

With Carrow Road in good voice and the sun blazing down brightly, all Norwich needed now was the game's opening goal.

As the final 10 minutes of the opening period loomed, so Norwich continued to press forward.

Nigel Worthington celebrates Mathias Svensson's late winner with physio Neal Reynolds.

Ashton produced the ball of the half in the 36th minute when he released Bentley in behind his marker. The on-loan Arsenal youngster then did exactly what was expected of him as he drilled a low cross through the six-yard box where both McKenzie and Francis lurked. McKenzie's dummy fooled everyone bar the covering El Karkouri who scrambled the ball clear.

Norwich continued to push forward and indeed forced two more corners without ever forcing Kiely into a save of note.

The clearest opportunity of the first half arrived a minute before the break and was a classic route one strike.

Canary keeper Green punted the ball high downfield to where McKenzie waited with the perfect flick-on for strike partner Ashton. Having gained the yard he needed on his marker, and brought the ball firmly under control, the smart money was on Ashton adding to his growing reputation. Instead he smashed the ball a yard wide of Dean Kiely's right-hand upright.

Seconds later and the referee blew the half-time whistle with the Canaries firmly in control of the contest but has yet been unable to find away beyond a stubborn Charlton defence. The fact that Middlesbrough appeared to be doing Norfolk a huge favour by storming into a 3-0 lead against relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion, merely added to the sense of frustration.

Half-time: Norwich City 0, Charlton Athletic 0

As the two teams returned for the second half unchanged, so it was Charlton who impressed first as Danish international winger Dennis Rommedahl cut in from the right, only to slash his shot high over Robert Green's bar.

In the Charlton half City continued to press without the ball ever really falling their way. Twice Ashton tried to ghost his way through, only for the ball to just run away from him at the crucial moment.

Mathias Svensson scores the winner against Charlton with an acrobatic scissors kick.

At the other end Green was forced into a sharp save by El Karkouri in the 49th minute, after Charlton had worked the ball well along the edge of the City penalty area.

As the game hit the hour mark so Charlton manager Alan Curbishley made his first change of the afternoon with Jason Euell replacing the ineffective Bryan Hughes.

With Norwich in desperate need of inspiration the crowd were busily calling for Huckerby's introduction - a request that the manager duly granted in the 61st minute. Whether the Canary winger would be the man to light the Norwich blue touch paper, only the next half hour would tell but certainly the Canaries needed a spot of fresh thinking - if not fresh legs - as they looked to break Charlton down.

Instead it was the dangerous-looking Rommedahl who caused the next moment of alarm as he cut in from the left before sending a curling shot goalward, which the leaping Green saved high to his right.

A minute later and it was Norwich's turn to have a shot on target as Francis used his strength to good effect to shrug off Charlton's skipper Holland, only to send his fierce, 20-yard drive straight down Kiely's throat.

City players set off in pursuit of Mathias Svensson after his dramatic goal.

McKenzie then flung himself on a Bentley drive, only for his header to be ruled offside as it flew beyond the far post.

Norwich's next chance arrived courtesy of Johnathan Fortune whose back-pass was picked up by Kiely and duly gave the home side an indirect free-kick right on the very corner of the six-yard box. Huckerby rolled the ball to Ashton but unfortunately there were too many red shirts - not to mention the spreading form of Kiely - in-between for the Canary striker to blast the ball home.

It was all becoming increasingly intense as the Canaries risked leaving themselves open for a late counterattack. Substitute Euell proved that point in the 76th minute when he rose to meet a Rommedahl cross, only for the ball to loop kindly into Green's waiting arms. That signalled a spirited spell of Charlton play with Rommedahl, in particular, looking dangerous every time he picked up the ball.

With 10 minutes of the game remaining Worthington played one more of his cards when Mathias Svensson replaced Bentley. With minutes ticking away and Charlton showing little sign of cracking, it was increasingly a case of now or never.

In the 81st minute Huckerby wriggled free before clipping a neat low cross towards the near post where Kiely bravely smothered the ball at the feet of McKenzie.

With eight minutes left so Charlton boss Alan Curbishley followed suit with a substitution - Jerome Thomas replacing Johansson.

Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiely is helpless to stop Mathias Svensson's late winner.

With the game fast opening up at either end, Svensson almost made an immediate impact as Ashton sent the Swede through in on goal and his first-time strike forced Kiely into an excellent one-handed save. Even then the danger wasn't over as the ball fell back to Ashton, whose shot was comfortably blocked.

At the other end Thomas fired a shot straight into Green's arms before Norwich had an even greater escape as Danny Murphy's 84th-minute free-kick flicked up off the defending Ashton before looping up against the base of Green's right hand post. When the ball fell back into the box, it needed a hasty hook clear from the covering Svensson to keep Norwich in the contest.

With three minutes of normal time remaining the Canaries grabbed a potentially crucial Premiership lifeline.

Adam Drury ran into the penalty area and found first Ashton and then Drury competing for the ball. In the end, it fell perfectly to a lurking Svensson who from 12-yards out produced a diving half volley that swept the ball beyond Kiely and on into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

Needless to say, it set Carrow Road rocking on its foundations.

With the fourth official announcing there would be just two minutes of injury time remaining, it was going to be the longest two minutes in many a supporter's life.

A knee injury to Leon McKenzie brought the final substitution of the day as Holt took his place.

Result: Norwich City 1, Charlton Athletic 0