Michael Bailey Norwich City manager Paul Lambert believes his side suffered a bad day at the office as their hopes of making the FA Cup third round were dashed at Brunton Park.

Michael Bailey

Norwich City manager Paul Lambert believes his side suffered a bad day at the office as their hopes of making the FA Cup third round were dashed at Brunton Park.

Grant Holt's first-half equaliser seemed to have ensured things were going to plan for the Canaries against Carlisle, but Kevan Hurst's goal just 14 seconds into the second half put City immediately on the back foot and the visitors never looked like getting back into the game.

And Lambert admitted he is glad his side only have to wait until tomorrow's League One trip to Southend to right Saturday's wrongs.

He said: "Yes I am, and it's another tough game at Southend. It's a league game and everyone knows that's where you earn your crust really, and that's why we have to go there and try to win.

"(The performance) was not the greatest. We got off to a really poor start, started slowly in the game, got ourselves back in it for a wee spell and we did OK after we got the goal.

"Second half we lost a goal after about 10 seconds or so, so you can't start the second half the way we did and expect to turn the game again."

After a hard-earned 1-0 triumph at Brunton Park in the league last month, the Norwich manager conceded the hosts were the better side second time round.

"We just never got going and all credit Carlisle, they were better than us on the night," he said. "There are a number of things you can put it down to. Even at 2-1, we still had enough time to get another goal and we just never done what we've been doing in previous weeks.

"Listen, as I've said before, if you're in something you may as well go a try to win every game you can. We've been on an absolutely terrific run and we just go again. We build it up and go again."

Having had a relatively settled side - and tactical plan - of late, Lambert may have some changes up his sleeve with loan signings Russell Martin and Anthony McNamee eager for their first piece of Norwich action, while Stephen Hughes and Cody McDonald continue to push for first team contention.

Lambert said: "We have to wait and see. We'll pick a team that we think will win the game on Tuesday night.

"I've never once felt as if we'd arrived and we can't win every single game. But the way they've been, they've been terrific, the lads, and it's tough to keep on going week in, week out, and I can't ask for any more. Today we just weren't at it."

City were slow to start both halves and Carlisle showed their newfound confidence, ably assisted by recent signing Vincent Pericard who did not play in the sides' league encounter in October - but proved to be a real handful at the weekend.

But for Lambert, City's defending was not good enough. He said: "Pericard is a handful and did well for the goal, but from our point of view it was a really poor goal to lose.

"We should've won the tackle initially. You can't legislate for losing a goal 10 seconds into the second half. You give the home team the impetus to drive on and it was a poor goal from our point of view."