Norwich City 0 Southampton 2

The League One game between Norwich and Southampton at Carrow Road on Saturday Feb 20 2010.

Norwich City boss, Paul Lambert has slammed referee Russell Booth for the second-half dismissal of Darel Russell as his side threw away the chance to stretch their lead at the top of League 1.

For the third game running, the league leaders put in an off-colour performance but Russell's red - for a high boot on Southampton skipper Dean Hammond - was crucial in ensuring the Canaries slumped to their first home league defeat since the opening day of the season.

And with second-placed Leeds stumbling at home for the second consecutive week and Colchester chewing up the gap in bronze position, Norwich will now be looking nervously over their shoulders.

“It was harsh how the referee thought it was a red card, it is bizarre,” said Lambert. “He pulled the card out quicker than Paul Daniels, I am telling you I have never seen a card come out so quickly, it was up his sleeve. It was a woeful decision.

“Sometimes you get a game that is too big for someone, and I think this was too big for him.”

Five years ago, this tie graced the Premiership but now, following two relegations, both outfits play in the third tier of English football for the first time in half a century having dropped like a stone, hand-in-hand, from the top division.

Parallels between the two are easy to come by with their last three encounters all finishing in stalemate at 2-2, whilst in Gary Holt and Rickie Lambert respectively, they boast two of the league’s in-form strikers, with the duo themselves former partners at Rotherham.

But, the much-anticipated battle between the league’s two hottest striking properties never materialised, although Lambert was crucial in the opening goal. As was the old adage of playing to the whistle, wise words ignored on this occasion by Norwich who, whilst busy bickering with their opponents about whether Lambert’s free-kick had crossed the line after smashing off the underside of cross-bar, left Lee Barnard free to score his first in Saints colours.

Still not looking comfortable, the league leaders responded after the interval as Korey Smith came within a Kelvin Davis fingertip of restoring parity. Somehow, the Saints stopper, 33, picked the ball from the glaring sun whilst furiously back-peddling to nudge the midfielder’s effort onto the bar.

But the Canaries’ fate was sealed following the Russell dismissal as Saints stretched their hosts. Adam Lallana was denied twice in quick succession by the woodwork but Barnard then made no mistake as he notched up his second of the afternoon.