Chris Lakey Paul Lambert insisted his Norwich City players could hold their heads high after an agonising defeat at Elland Road. The Canaries were on their way to a thoroughly deserved point when disaster struck in time added on - goalkeeper Fraser Forster making a hash of a goalkick to hand Jermaine Beckford the winner on a plate.

Chris Lakey

Paul Lambert insisted his Norwich City players could hold their heads high after an agonising defeat at Elland Road.

The Canaries were on their way to a thoroughly deserved point when disaster struck in time added on - goalkeeper Fraser Forster making a hash of a goalkick to hand Jermaine Beckford the winner on a plate.

While it sent Leeds back to the top of League One, City sent out their own message.

“The lads have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be disappointed about, because we were excellent,” said Lambert. “I thought we were the better team. I thought we were terrific and dominated the game for long spells.

“Leeds are there on merit, but we never deserved that, that's for sure.”

City went behind to a Bradley Johnson header, but Grant Holt levelled before half-time - and Forster looked to have kept City in the game with a brilliant late save to deny Beckford. The keeper, on loan from Newcastle, looked to be struggling with a back injury early in the second half, but indicated he was fit to carry on - and Lambert refused to blame it for his error.

“I'm not so sure. His back was giving a little bit of concern but that's the nature of the game,” said Lambert. “You make mistakes and you just pick it up.

“He will learn from it, he is only a young kid. He made two terrific saves for us, but the way we played the game we are as good as we have been.

“It might be bias, people might think I am absolutely barking mad, but we were the better football team. We never deserved to lose it, we deserved to win the game.”

City had already missed chances before going behind.

“We should have been two up,” said Lambert. “But I tell you what, we will drive on next Saturday and if we keep playing the way we are playing we will be right in it.

“If we keep playing like that we will be in the mix. I said we were going to come here and try and win the game and that's what we did. It's an easy place to come and sit and be destructive, but offensively we were terrific.

“I can't ask for any more. It was a mistake for the goal but they have nothing to be ashamed of and they were terrific for me.”