Lambert backs newcomers' fight

Few gave this season's promoted sides much of a chance of survival but all three have made their mark with Lambert's men getting themselves up and running on Saturday with first-half goals from Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson. City's first top-flight away win in 17 years was confirmed despite 10-man Bolton hitting back through a Martin Petrov penalty - and John Ruddy pulling off a stunning save to deny David Ngog at the death. Lambert said: "We have discovered the Premier League is unforgiving but the performance levels have been excellent and if they continue at both ends of the pitch we will be okay. "I've seen Swansea and QPR play and it shows the three teams that came up are very good. I think they are more than capable of holding their own but all we can do is concentrate on ourselves. "We have got Sunderland at home coming up and then an easy trip to Old Trafford. But we have earned the right to play in this league and we make no apologies for going out and trying to win games." Bolton were hampered by the 44th minute sending-off of Ivan Klasnic for an apparent head-butt on Marc Tierney, an incident Trotters boss Owen Coyle called an "act of folly" as it hindered his side's comeback chances. Petrov's penalty gave his side hope but there was no disguising the frustration at the final whistle as Coyle's men slumped to their fourth defeat in a row - and their third at home already this season. Coyle insisted the home form in particular did not bother him - despite the fact that his side only lost four games at the Reebok Stadium throughout the whole of the last campaign. "We always knew we would have a tough start but my concern is when we concede soft goals," said Coyle. "We need to be far better than we were today from start to finish - it's as simple as that." With both sides starting the game on the back of tough losses last week it was no surprise that the opening was a cagey affair but Lambert's Norwich looked crisper and more ambitious from the start. Elliott Bennett forced an early save out of Jussi Jaaskelainen and David Fox's set-pieces constantly caused problems for a statuesque Bolton defence, so it was no surprise when Fox set up City's opener. Fox sent in an inswinging 38th minute corner which was nodded down by Leon Barnett to Steve Morison, whose ball back across the face of goal was squeezed in at the near post by Pilkington. And just six minutes later Norwich went further ahead when Fox flung a free-kick into the box which found the head of Johnson, who outjumped the home defenders to power home. Klasnic's dismissal for an off the ball incident involving Tierney looked like scuppering Bolton's chances of a comeback, but they came close after Petrov put away a penalty in 63rd minute after Barnett tripped Dedryck Boyata. The introduction of Ngog at half time certainly boosted Bolton's attacking options but fellow substitute Chris Eagles admitted Klasnic's red card had cost them dear. Eagles told Bolton's website: "I felt that if we had 11 men in the second half we would definitely have got something from the game. It just shows our performance in the first 45 minutes let us down. "We've had a tough start and we thought we could get the points. It wasn't to be but we have only played five games of a long season. There are times we will go to places and do what Norwich did to us."