Paul Lambert is beginning to see things drop into place as City kept a second successive clean sheet after the topsy turvy beginning to his reign at Carrow Road.

Paul Lambert is beginning to see things drop into place as City kept a second successive clean sheet after the topsy turvy beginning to his reign at Carrow Road.

City's opening two matches under Lambert saw 11 goals go in at either end - but clean sheets in successive matches show that the rocky ship he took over is beginning to steady.

A 2-0 win at Hartlepool on Saturday followed by last night's 1-0 win over Brentford makes it three wins out of four for Lambert - a pair of clean sheets the icing on the cake.

"I think that breeds confidence throughout the football club, that the lads are starting to defend the way we want them to defend," he said.

"But you have got to have somebody able to stick the ball in the net and if you put the two of them together the last few games they have been brilliant to be fair."

Lambert (pictured) had a first look at midfielder Darel Russel, whose move back up the leagues didn't materialise, and striker Goran Maric.

"I thought Darel was terrific," Lambert said. "He hasn't played for I don't know how long and to last a game let alone his performance - he was great.

"Goran's the same - he hasn't played and he looks a little bit rusty, there's no doubt, but Darel's performance considering he hasn't played for a long time was great."

Lambert gave a first start for Chris Martin - another of those who was given a chance to show what he can do - and was rewarded with the winning goal.

"It was a brilliant goal," he said. "He hasn't played for a number of weeks. The lad's tired - there are a few in there really tired considering they haven't played but his goal was absolutely first class."

Martin's strike made up for an earlier miss, when he clipped the ball across the six-yard box when he really should have done better - but Lambert wasn't in the mood for handing out criticism.

"If you're telling me no striker alive misses the target - it's easy for him to go into his shell but he never did," said Lambert. "He kept on wanting the ball and taking it, which shows a sign of bravery and his goal was a terrific goal."

Lambert had watched the League One defeat at Brentford a fortnight ago from the directors' box, having been announced as the new manager earlier in the day - but last night's revenge victory was far from easy, with City dominating the early stages before the visitors came into the game.

"It's another victory for us, which is great - wholesale changes so it let me see lads I haven't seen before," he said. "Brentford aren't going to come here and just let us have the ball. They have got to try and stop us and they beat us just a few weeks ago so we have got out own back. If you can show me a football team which is going to come here and let you dictate games I'd love to play them."