Paddy Davitt Norwich City's on-loan Newcastle keeper Fraser Forster insists the Canaries' fan base is a match for the Geordie nation. Forster has seen plenty of evidence during his extended Carrow Road loan spell this season to realise he has found a home from home away from the football-mad north east.

Paddy Davitt

Norwich City's on-loan Newcastle keeper Fraser Forster insists the Canaries' fan base is a match for the Geordie nation.

Forster has seen plenty of evidence during his extended Carrow Road loan spell this season to realise he has found a home from home away from the football-mad north east.

Paul Lambert's League One table-toppers can expect sizeable backing again this weekend against Swindon at the County Ground as they step up their bid for automatic promotion.

The Canaries' latest comeback league win at Huddersfield was watched by Norwich's biggest travelling support of the campaign just days after club officials announced a record-breaking 18,500 season ticket renewals.

Forster detects plenty of parallels with his parent club and is convinced such loyalty deserves Championship football next year.

“Unbelievable,” he said. “They are at every away game we play and when you run out and see that support and, of course, what we also get at home - they are fantastic as well.

“You can see the similarities between the two because they are both one club cities with a huge fan base that is passionate about supporting their home-town club. It is brilliant to have that backing and it was a great boost for the lads (at Huddersfield). That result sets us up for Swindon - which will be another hard game but we will go and try to grind out another win.”

Lambert's men cashed in on slip- ups for their main promotion rivals last time out to pull clear of both Leeds and Charlton.

Forster, however, cautions it could easily turn again with City facing a tricky test at the play-off chasing Robins ahead of Leeds entertaining in-form Millwall on Monday.

“It's another massive weekend for us but they are all massive games now at this stage because most of the teams you face have something to play for,” he said. “Really, it is all just about us and concentrating on our results and what other teams are doing will take care of itself.

“It's not hard for me to do because I don't really look at the league table. I haven't done so far and I won't do it until the end of the season - that's just how I believe I want to go about it but I know that if we win all our games we win the league. The difficult thing is getting on the pitch and making sure that happens.”

City's last line of defence is ready if called upon again this weekend after enhancing his growing reputation with another superb late reaction stop at Huddersfield to avoid a nervy finish.

“I had a save to make towards the end when I managed to push it away and because I was a little unsighted I was pleased with that,” he said. “Really, it's the four lads in front again who have done the hard work because I didn't have much else to do. They were really solid.

“As a keeper those type of games is all about being switched on and concentrated. I didn't have much to do, first half, but I was a little busier after the break. That is what I am paid to do - when I am called to make a save or two after being stood there doing nothing.”

Forster had no chance with Neal Trotman's flashing near-post header from Danny Drinkwater's pinpoint corner inside the opening three minutes.

“Obviously it was a really good start for them. They came out of the blocks really quickly,” he said. “Maybe a couple of lads lost their markers but we were just unlucky and we got punished. I felt after that initial spell we looked very solid again at the back and it's been like that all season.

“Even though we've chopped and changed a little bit of late when you have players like Doc and Nels they just come and head everything away. They've been brilliant these past few games. I always felt we could get back into the game. With the three lads we have up front you just know if they get a chance they will take it. I think the gaffer gives us a lot of belief. He is always so positive with the lads. He just wants us to go and win games and drives us on.”