Henri Camara came off the bench to strike a late winner and lift Southampton off the bottom of the Barclays Premiership with a thrilling victory over fellow strugglers Norwich at St Mary's.

With both sides in need of a win to boost their chances of beating the drop, it was the Saints who produced the goods when it mattered, having recovered from going behind to an early goal from David Bentley.

Harry Redknapp's men now have it all to play for in the final two matches of the season, away at relegation battlers Crystal Palace next week and then at home to Manchester United.

The Canaries - who had been unbeaten in four - must, meanwhile, now hope other results go their way if they are to stay up.

It was the visitors who got off to a flying start when they took the lead inside the opening two minutes.

Leon McKenzie got ahead of Andreas Jakobsson in the left side of the penalty box, and looped a pass across goal to the far post, where Bentley arrived to squeeze the ball between Antti Niemi and the woodwork.

Southampton knew only a win here would be good enough to keep their hopes of staying up alive, and were soon level.

Nigel Quashie was given the space to run at the retreating Norwich defence, before slipping in Matthew Oakley on the right, who promptly drilled a low, angled drive into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area after six minutes.

It was frantic, end-to-end stuff, with Dean Ashton then latching onto a pass into the Saints box and dispatching a fierce 10-yard drive which had Niemi beaten, but cannoned back off the right-hand post.

In the 15th minute, Robert Green was at full stretch to turn away Jamie Redknapp's 25-yard free-kick.

Southampton then turned the match around on 19 minutes when Rory Delap sent in a cross from the right, which fell perfectly for Crouch to nip ahead of Thomas Helveg and sidefoot home from six yards out.

Only a brilliant reaction save from Green denied Crouch a second goal after 25 minutes, the England man beating away the striker's snapshot after the ball had broken to him in the box.

Then from the breakaway, Norwich were level on the half hour.

Delap lost possession, allowing Huckerby to scamper away down the left. He took the ball on to the by-line and cut a pass back across goal, where Danny Higginbotham diverted it past his own goalkeeper.

It took a fine reaction save from Niemi to deny Huckerby from close range and then another great one-handed tip over to keep out Bentley's curling 25-yard drive from the resulting corner.

Southampton, though, were back in front seven minutes before the break.

A long punt into the Norwich box was knocked down by Crouch, and flicked on by Quashie to Le Saux, who brought the ball down beautifully before firing a left-foot effort into the far corner.

Then, in first-half injury time, it was 3-3 when McKenzie stabbed the ball past Niemi after latching onto Ashton's flick from a hopefully pass into the Southampton penalty area.

There were two changes for the home side at the restart, Claus Lundekvam replacing Jakobsson and Paul Telfer came on for Delap.

Green made a flying stop to keep out Quashie's swerving 20-yard effort, with Crouch then heading over the crossbar from the resulting corner.

In a rare Norwich attack, Huckerby, on the left, sent over a deep cross to the far post, but this time Bentley could only find the side-netting from an acute angle.

Just after the hour, Telfer's deep cross from the right found Phillips in the six-yard box, but the Saints skipper could not keep his header down.

With 18 minutes left, Saints made a final change when Camara replaced Le Saux.

Niemi denied Charlton with a brilliant reaction block at his right-hand post on 80 minutes before Green then kept out Phillips' close-range back-heel.

At the other end, Niemi turned McKenzie's angled drive around the post before Camara settled this pulsating encounter in Saints' favour with a low 20-yard strike three minutes from time.

Teams

Southampton Niemi, Delap (Telfer 45), Higginbotham, Jakobsson (Lundekvam 45), Bernard, Oakley, Redknapp, Quashie, Le Saux (Camara 73), Crouch, Phillips.

Subs Not Used: Smith, Ormerod.

Booked: Le Saux, Bernard, Camara.

Goals: Oakley 7, Crouch 20, Le Saux 39, Camara 88.

Norwich Green, Helveg, Fleming, Shackell, Drury, Bentley, Francis, Safri, Huckerby (Charlton 69), McKenzie, Ashton (Svensson 82).

Subs Not Used: Holt, Jonson, Ward.

Booked: Fleming, Helveg.

Goals: Bentley 3, Higginbotham 31 og, McKenzie 45.

Att: 31,944

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).