Mamady Sidibe's second-half header helped second-placed Stoke return to winning ways in the Championship at Norwich.

The Potters have seen their promotion push falter in recent weeks but secured a first victory in four attempts thanks to a rare Sidibe goal.

The Mali international converted Rory Delap's arrowed throw-in 13 minutes into the second period to double his tally for the season and keep the pressure on leaders Bristol City.

Goalkeeper Carlo Nash also produced a decent display on only his second appearance for Stoke since joining on loan from Wigan to further frustrate Norwich, who went close on several occasions through Jamie Cureton.

Canaries manager Glenn Roeder, without suspended duo Darel Russell and Gary Doherty, drafted Alex Pearce and Cureton into his starting XI while Stoke's joint top scorer Ricardo Fuller was dropped to the bench.

Both teams went into the match without a win in their last three outings and played out a cagey opening.

It took 19 minutes for either to muster a chance as Matthew Pattison tried his luck from 25 yards but failed to force Nash into action.

Cureton had a rasping goalbound shot blocked by Leon Cort while at the other end Pattison kept out Salif Diao's 20-yard volley.

The Potters were unfortunate not to take a 26th-minute lead when Cort rose well to meet Liam Lawrence's corner but the defender headed weakly at goalkeeper David Marshall with the goal at his mercy.

Some neat footwork from Mark Fotheringham allowed the Norwich midfielder a sight of goal eight minutes before the interval but Nash was quickly off his line to pounce on the ball.

The lively Cureton lost his marker but his curling effort was kept out by a smart Nash save after 41 minutes, while former Crewe defender Jon Otsemobor blazed wide from 30 yards moments later.

Carl Dickinson's cross-cum-shot on the stroke of half-time then caught Marshall unawares but the Norwich keeper was relieved to see the ball clip the crossbar and bounce away to safety.

After the restart, Fotheringham's left-footed 25-yard shot was eventually saved by Nash at the second attempt before Stoke boss Tony Pulis introduced Fuller - who has scored 14 goals this season - to freshen up his attack.

But it was Fuller's strike partner Sidibe who broke the deadlock after 58 minutes.

A trademark Delap long throw caught the home defence out and Sidibe's flicked near-post header beat Marshall to send the travelling fans into raptures.

It may have only been Sidibe's second goal of the season but it could prove all the more telling in the scramble for promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

Nash denied Cureton on the hour from 18 yards before again thwarting him from close range 15 minutes from time.

Ched Evans then steered a 12-yard header straight at Nash after meeting Lee Croft's cross and only a finger-tip save from Marshall with six minutes remaining kept out Lawrence's 30-yard strike.

Cureton missed a gilt-edged chance to haul the sides level in stoppage time but somehow bundled wide from six yards in a crowded penalty area.

Teams

Norwich Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell, Pearce,Camara (Evans 69), Croft, Fotheringham, Pattison, Bertrand,Dublin, Cureton.

Subs Not Used: Gilks, Gibbs, Spillane, Daley.

Stoke Nash, Griffin, Cort (Shawcross 81), Riggott, Dickinson,Lawrence, Delap, Diao (Fuller 52), Pugh, Cresswell,Sidibe (Gallagher 84).

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Wilkinson.

Booked: Delap.

Goals: Sidibe 58.

Att: 23,471

Ref: Keith Woolmer (Northamptonshire).