Goals in each half from Robert Koren and Zoltan Gera saw Championship leaders West Brom stretch their lead at the top of the table with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Norwich.

Koren opened the scoring in the second minute and when Gera doubled Albion's advantage midway through the second-half it looked like Tony Mowbray's side would cruise to all three points.

But Norwich immediately halved their deficit courtesy of Ched Evans' penalty to set up a tense finale at Carrow Road.

However, the Baggies held on to put themselves one more win away from earning automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Glenn Roeder made four changes to the Norwich side that were beaten in the East Anglia derby by Ipswich.

Captain Mark Fotheringham and fellow midfielder Kieran Gibbs were recalled at the expense of Darel Russell and Dion Dublin.

There were also two changes in defence for the Canaries as Jason Shackell and Mohammed Camara replaced Alex Pearce and Ryan Bertrand.

Luke Chadwick's inclusion on the bench saw him return to the squad for the first time since the end of November after recovering from a shoulder injury.

West Brom manager Mowbray resisted the temptation to name an unchanged side for the third straight game as he recalled Bednar for Ishmael Miller.

The visitors led at the break through Koren's early goal. The Slovenia international beat David Marshall to the rebound after the Canaries' keeper had parried Kevin Phillips' low shot from the edge of the area.

This was Albion's sixth game in 19 days in all competitions, but they looked the fresher side in the opening stages and were soon threatening again.

Gera, whose goal in the midweek Black Country derby victory at Wolves sent the Baggies back to the top of the table, forced Marshall into another parrying save in the fifth minute.

Norwich's first attack should have yielded a goal but Gibbs headed Jon Otsemobor's cross over the crossbar from six-yards out after 16 minutes.

The hosts came into the game after that but still struggled to test Dean Kiely.

Jamie Cureton had two goalbound efforts blocked by Carl Hoefkens in quick succession midway through the first-half, before a tame 25-yard shot was easily caught by the Albion keeper.

At the other end, only another good save from Marshall prevented Roman Bednar from doubling West Brom's advantage seven minutes before the break.

Marshall was called into action again at the start of the second half, tipping Gera's left-foot shot on to the underside of the crossbar and reacting quickly to smother the rebound.

It was his immediate long clearance that put Cureton in the clear with a chance to equalise, his lob beat Kiely but landed on the roof of the net.

Gera doubled Albion's advantage in the 71st minute with his 10th goal of the season.

Shackell's defensive header dropped to the Hungarian on the edge of the area. He took one touch to control the ball before volleying into the bottom corner with his second touch.

Norwich were literally handed a way back into the game when Dion Dublin's header struck Leon Barnett's hand.

Referee Iain Williamson pointed to the spot despite protests from the Albion players. Evans kept his cool to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Norwich pressed for the equaliser but Mowbray's side weathered the storm to move five points clear at the Championship summit.

Teams:

Norwich Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell, Doherty,Camara (Russell 84), Huckerby, Fotheringham,Gibbs (Chadwick 74), Pattison, Cureton (Dublin 63), Evans.

Subs Not Used: Velasco, Pearce.

Booked: Fotheringham, Doherty, Shackell, Dublin.

Goals: Evans 73 pen.

West Brom Kiely, Hoefkens, Barnett, Clement,Robinson (Albrechtsen 69), Gera, Koren, Greening, Morrison,Bednar (Miller 65), Phillips (Moore 65).

Subs Not Used: Danek, Brunt.

Booked: Robinson.

Goals: Koren 2, Gera 71.

Att: 25,442

Ref: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).