David Cuffley Winger Anthony McNamee was delighted to get off the mark with his first goal for Norwich City - then help his captain into the history books. McNamee took less than three minutes to produce a fine opening goal as the Canaries beat bottom-of-the-table Stockport County 2-1 at Carrow Road in their Easter Monday fixture to stay nine points clear at the top of League One with six matches to play.

David Cuffley

Winger Anthony McNamee was delighted to get off the mark with his first goal for Norwich City - then help his captain into the history books.

McNamee took less than three minutes to produce a fine opening goal as the Canaries beat bottom-of-the-table Stockport County 2-1 at Carrow Road in their Easter Monday fixture to stay nine points clear at the top of League One with six matches to play.

The former Swindon man curled in a left-foot shot following a crossfield ball from skipper Grant Holt, before later returning the compliment, taking the free-kick from which Holt scored what proved to be the winner, becoming the first City player since Ron Davies in 1963-64 to score 30 in a season in all competitions. Clutching the official sponsors' man of the match champagne, the 26-year-old McNamee - with only seven goals in his career until yesterday - said: “I was delighted to score. I don't score many, but I was happy with the goal. I'm playing on the right and I'm left-footed, so coming in on my left foot, I just saw a bit of space to drive into. I thought 'Let me have a go at it', and I just took a shot and it went in.”

Jabo Ibehre's 12th-minute equaliser for Stockport unsettled the Canaries, but Holt had the perfect answer with 25 minutes gone.

“It was a shock but we got the goal after that,” said McNamee. “Grant Holt's always going to score because he's a great goalscorer.”

City could have won more convincingly, Chris Martin hitting the post twice and other chances going begging.

“In the second half we were very unlucky. If we had scored one of the four chances we had I think we would have cruised on to win the game by a lot more goals but that's football - sometimes they just don't go in for you,” said McNamee.

Yesterday's game was only the fourth start for McNamee and his 12th appearance in all since joining City, initially on loan in November but then on a permanent basis in January.

“I knew when I came here it wasn't going to be easy just to play every game because of how well the team has been doing so I just have to be patient and bide my time,” he said.

“I hope I can run out here again on Saturday but we'll have to wait and see.”

As the table stands today, City need to win three of their last six games to be mathematically certain of promotion.

“We can't take our foot off the pedal now. Every time we go out on the football pitch we want to win every game so I hope we can get all the points that are remaining,” said McNamee, who played on the right flank yesterday as manager Paul Lambert switched formation to 4-4-2 in the absence of the injured Wes Hoolahan.

“When I was younger, in the youth team, I would play more on the right but then when I started playing first team I played on the left but I'm not really bothered,” said McNamee.

Lambert played McNamee in all three games when Darel Russell was suspended, but he was back on the bench for four matches before yesterday's recall.

“He went out of the side, probably unfairly, but it was a decision I had to make,” said Lambert. “When a team keeps on winning it's hard to slot certain lads in front of you and he has had to wait again and he has come in and played really well for us, and scored a terrific goal.”