Craig Bellamy wrote his name in Premier League history but it was Wilfried Zaha who provided the inspiration for Cardiff City.
Craig Bellamy wrote his name in Premier League history but it was Wilfried Zaha who provided the inspiration for Cardiff City.
Bellamy became the first player to score for eight clubs in the Premier League with his second-half equaliser, his first for his hometown club.
The 34-year-old Welshman had previously netted for Coventry, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, West Ham United and Manchester City.
But he had a player 13 years his junior to thank for a delightful through ball as Zaha helped turn the tide and lift Cardiff off the foot of the table.
They trailed to a fifth-minute strike by Robert Snodgrass when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gambled and threw on the Manchester United loanee. And just 73 seconds after Bellamy finished Zaha's pass, another of Solskjaer's new signings, Kenwyne Jones, rose highest to cap his debut with the winner.
Solskjaer said: "Sometimes you just have to make a decision and I felt it was right to bring him [Zaha] on early. He lifted the crowd and the players and maybe he frightened the Norwich defenders because he is such an exciting talent."
Now Cardiff will hope Solskjaer's first win in the Premier League will prove a turning point.
Solskjaer said: "I'm delighted because the results at West Ham and Sunderland made it even more important to get three points. We wanted to make a fresh start and that was it."
However Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall was equally responsible for this result after frustrating Norwich with a catalogue of fine saves during a frantic final 20 minutes.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton said: "We just don't know how we didn't win that game. We're very frustrated because we deserved something but in the end you have to score goals and you can't concede two soft goals like that."
Norwich have just one win from their last 11 games and are now just two points off relegation.
It had looked set to be a different story when Olsson's pass deflected off Ben Turner into the path of Snodgrass.
Zaha replaced Peter Whittingham and lifted Cardiff for a second-half comeback.
Cardiff: Marshall 8; John 6, Caulker 7, Turner 6, Fabio 6 (Theophile-Catherine 75); Medel 6, Whittingham 5 (Zaha 38, 8); Mutch 6 (Gunnarsson 5), Bellamy 7, Noone 7; Jones 7.
Norwich: Ruddy 5; Olsson 7, Bassong 6, Bennett 5, Martin 6; Gutierez 6 (Redmond 75), Tettey 5, Johnson 7(Fer 75), Snodgrass 7; Elmander 6 (van Wolfswinkel 75), Hooper 6. Booked: Bennett, Elmander, Tettey, Snodgrass
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)
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