Norwich: Two goals from captain Grant Holt proved key as Norwich City poached a 4-2 victory over ten-man Newcastle United in a Premier League fixture that exploded into life in the second half on Saturday.
Wes Hoolahan bundled the opener over the line from a disputed corner in the first half before Demba Ba broke through the defence to equalise on the stroke of half-time.
Norwich then hit Newcastle with a four-minute double blow, with Holt regaining the lead through a header on the second attempt before Steve Morison arrived to dispatch the third, also with a fine headed effort.
Dan Gosling was sent off for the visitors when he was adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Russell Martin and, despite Ba raising Newcastle's hopes with a well-taken second moments later, Holt put the result beyond doubt with another excellent aerial goal.
With Newcastle missing first-choice centre-backs Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini, Paul Lambert recalled to the starting XI alongside Holt, Steve Morison, with Wes Hoolahan also coming in as one of four changes to head a midfield diamond. For the visitors, right-back Danny Simpson was called on to fill in in the centre alongside the inexperienced James Perch, with Shola Ameobi preferred up front to Hatem Ben Arfa.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Holt did the hard work in bullying his way past Perch and into the area, but his angle coming in from the right meant that he had to shoot with his unfavoured left foot and his effort was easily blocked by Simpson.
Dan Gosling then fluffed a useful-looking chance. Newcastle mustered a rare attack with Ba dropping deep to aid in the build-up. It came to Obertan on the right, whose cross found the former Everton man just away from his marker in the box, but his volley dropped lamely short of the near post.
As the match approached the half-hour point, there were deafening shouts for handball as Davide Santon appeared to take a cross from the right onto his left forearm in the area, but referee Martin Atkinson ignored the vociferous appeals.
With half-time looming, Tierney was fed down the left by Surman on another of his rampaging runs but his cross was poor. Tim Krul picked it out at the far post and seemingly did well to keep it in play, but he was ruled to have carried it out. From the resulting corner, an almighty scramble ensued in which Krul saved from Andrew Crofts' header before Hoolahan got the last touch in bundling the ball over the line.
A very simple goal then got things back to level terms on the stroke of half-time. Hanging around in front of the assembled Norwich back four, Yohan Cabaye dinked an elegant ball over the top and Ba broke the offside trap to find himself one-on-one with John Ruddy in the kind of chance he does not make a habit of missing.
Despite the first 15 minutes of the second half being dominated by a superior-looking Newcastle, it was the Canaries who took back their lead. David Fox's corner came back to him, and he used the second ball to launch it towards Holt. The captain's first header was blocked but he was able to take another bite and this time saw it drop into the net off the underside of the bar.
Barely a moment later Norwich had another, Holt tussling for the ball on the edge of the area and ensuring that the ball was distributed to Crofts on the right, who had all the space he could need to line up a cross. Morison, who had previously had a very quiet game indeed, rushed onto it to extend his excellent scoring form with a bullet header.
Things then went from bad to worse for the visitors when Gosling clattered viciously into Russell Martin, appearing to both tread on him and catch him with his shoulder, earning himself a straight red card.
The Magpies found a reply when Ameobi was allowed to wriggle free of his marker on the right and delivered a sumptuous through-ball to put Ba into the danger area. The Senegalese took Martin out of the equation with a delightful first touch before burying his second of the afternoon into the bottom corner.
Lambert moved to close the game out by introducing Bradley Johnson, and he contributed immediately by delivering a fine free-kick into the crowded area, where Holt was waiting to stoop low and power a fine header into the top corner.
In other results on Saturday, Aston Villa won away for the first time this season by beating Bolton 2-1.
Bolton's 12th defeat in 15 matches sent them to the bottom of the table, amid boos from the home crowd.
Marc Albrighton converted Gabriel Agbonlahor's cross in the 33rd minute, and Stiliyan Petrov made it 2-0 just before half-time with a deflection off defender Gary Cahill.
Ivan Klasnic halved the deficit early in the second spell for his seventh league goal of the season.
Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm and Fulham forward Clint Dempsey experienced contrasting fortunes as the Welsh side won 2-0.
After a drab first half, Swansea took the lead in the 56th minute when Scott Sinclair's shot hit United States international Dempsey before beating goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Vorm made a string of outstanding stops to protect his side's lead, culminating with a penalty save from the unfortunate Dempsey in the 87th. The Dutch 'keeper dived to his right to keep out the spot kick after Ashley Richards had fouled Kerim Frei.
Substitute Danny Graham wrapped up the three points for the hosts in injury time.
Jordi Gomez lifted Wigan off the foot of the Premier League table by converting a second-half penalty to clinch a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.
The Spanish midfielder found the corner in the 57th minute after Victor Moses was fouled by West Brom rightback Steven Reid, who had put the hosts ahead in the 33rd with a sublime free kick.
Moses equalized four minutes later with his first goal of the season and Gomez's third in four matches completed the turnaround for Wigan.
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