Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett paid tribute to Andre Green after the on-loan striker scored an injury-time goal to earn Pompey a 1-0 win over 10-man Norwich in the third round of the FA Cup.
Green produced a cool finish to edge the League One leaders past the Championship high-flyers, who had to play over 75 minutes with 10 men after skipper Grant Hanley became the club's first recipient of a red card for well over a year.
The Scotland international was dismissed for bringing down Ronan Curtis as he bore down on goal, with referee Darren Bond deciding he had denied Pompey a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
It was an evenly contested game after that but with the League One visitors having the advantage of the extra man, they always looked the more likely to nick it, and finally grabbed a winner deep into injury time after catching the Canaries on the break.
Dion Donohue swung over an excellent cross-field ball to the fast breaking Green and, after seeing his initial effort blocked by Timm Klose, the Portsmouth substitute coolly steered the loose ball past Michael McGovern to settle the tie.
"I am very pleased for Andre – it was a great moment for him after a difficult start to his loan spell here because of injury," said Jackett. "He took his goal really well and I thought his general play was really good too.
"He is a good young player who has settled in with the group really well and we are very grateful to Aston Villa for allowing him to come here. He is now getting up to full pace and hopefully he will continue to make an important contribution for us for the remainder of the season."
On the game in general, Jackett added: "Obviously the sending off was a key moment of the game and I certainly thought it was a red-card offence. From then on we played well and created plenty of chances but it didn't look as though it was going to be our day until we got our goal right at the end.
"I know we were playing against a side who were down to 10 men for so long but this was a really good win for us.
"It was a different challenge for us playing a side like them – they made eight changes from their previous game but it was still a very strong side and Carrow Road is such a positive place these days.
"But we dealt with it well and it's great to be in the next round. It was a great win for us, and the fans of course, and it also brings in important revenue for the club so it's a really good day for us."
Norwich head coach Daniel Farke felt Hanley was unlucky to see red.
"I have watched it back and it looked as though the ball was running away from their player and (keeper) Michael McGovern would have got there first and it wasn't a clear goal-scoring chance so my feeling is that it looked like a yellow card.
"It is a shame for Grant because he needed the full 90 minutes today after being out of the side for some time but it is what it is. The referee made his decision and we have to accept it.
"From then on it was very difficult for us because we were up against a side who are doing really well in League One who had one extra man. It was like a Championship game and I thought the boys did really well.
"They showed good desire, didn't give many chances away and also created some chances to win the game.
"We didn't want a replay so we went all out to win the game – and unfortunately we got caught out on the break right at the end."
