David Wright's first ever Town goal saw the Blues to a 1-1 draw in the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road. The home side started the stronger and Dickson Etuhu put them in front on four, but as the game wore on Town got on top, Wright netting his goal in the 61st minute.
The Blues made one change from the side which defeated Derby County 2-1 last week, Dan Harding returning to left-back as David Wright switched flanks and Fabian Wilnis moving to the centre of the defence in place of Jason De Vos.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the pre-match hype regarding a Norwich injury crisis was far from the truth with Darren Huckerby, Dion Dublin, Lee Croft, Mark Fotherington and Robert Earnshaw all considered fit enough to start.
Norwich went ahead with the first real chance of the game. Huckerby beat Wright down his side's left flank and sent in a cross which Etuhu headed beyond Shane Supple from close range.
Town were finding it hard to get going with the Canaries threatening through Huckerby, the former Coventry man often drifting wide to the left and the Blues backline undecided how to deal with him.
On 11 Etuhu headed a Fotherington cross wide, then Huckerby shot over from the edge of the area.
There were calls for a Town penalty in the 24th minute when Jason Shackell blocked Gavin Williams inside the area. An indirect freekick for obstruction was probably a more likely award than a spotkick, but referee Steve Tanner wasn't interested on either front.
Etuhu shot over from 25 yards, then Huckerby's strike flew straight at Supple as the home side continued to have the better of the game, quickly getting the ball forward towards Huckerby and Earnshaw. The Welshman hit a shot over on 32 after Fabian Wilnis had superbly cut out a through ball.
Town started to pass the ball more fluently in the final quarter of an hour of the opening period. Jaime Peters's well-struck shot was deflected wide, then keeper Tony Warner, a one-time trialist with the Blues, failed to hold on to Franny Jeffers's shot, but a defender was across quickly to put the ball behind. From the corner, Jaime Peters headed the ball straight to Warner.
On 42 David Wright sent in a cross from the right which flew just over Jon Walters's head but forced Warner into pushing the ball round his post. Just before the break, Gary Roberts scraped a shot wide when he should have done better.
The Blues had gradually started to look like the side which had been so impressive in recent weeks after a sluggish start which allowed the Canaries to get in front. The home side went for it hell for leather from the off with Huckerby's wide role, which left Earnshaw as a lone central attacker, causing problems.
In addition, the Canaries' direct approach was catching a number of Town midfielders too far forward, particularly Gary Roberts. Town eventually started to get their passing going and finished the half the stronger, but without creating too many chances as the Canaries seemed to tire.
The Blues continued to improve after the break. The first action of the half saw Gary Roberts clash with Dion Dublin, both players appearing to raise a hand, but after a talking to by the referee, both were allowed to continue.
An Owen Garvan freekick eventually fell to Gavin Williams on the edge of the area in the 51st minute, the Welshman hitting a shot which Warner saved.
A minute later, a Williams corner was played to Garvan on the edge of the area, the Irishman deftly volleying a shot goalwards but Fotheringham blocked on the line.
Town were well on top and two minutes later Jeffers headed a Roberts cross over, the former Accrington man appearing to be stirred into action by his clash with Dublin.
On 55 Garvan screwed a shot wide, then a Norwich break ended with Huckerby crossing to the far post and sub Chris Martin volleying over.
Town finally got back on terms in the 61st minute. Gary Roberts, now playing on the right of midfield, regularly switching with Jaime Peters, played in David Wright around the outside of the defence. The former Wigan man cut in and crossed low, the ball ricocheting to him off a defender, Wright reacting quickly to slip the ball wide of Warner and into the net before celebrating in front of the Blues support in the Jarrold Stand.
Stand-in skipper Fabian Wilnis made an important challenge on Dickson Etuhu in the 63rd minute, the ball having fallen to the former Preston man inside the area from a freekick. Without Jason De Vos the Blues were very much the shorter of the two sides and the Canaries — Dion Dublin in particular — always a threat at set-pieces.
Alan Lee replaced Jon Walters as Town went looking for a winner. However, the Canaries were also coming close on occasion, Earnshaw sending a Huckerby cross over.
Williams beat two players before forcing Warner into a good save down to his left in the 67th minute. From the resultant short corner, Lee headed Roberts's powerful cross wide.
Referee Tanner failed to be fooled by one of Darren Huckerby's least convincing dives after a clash with David Wright in the 70th minute, but Huckerby's theatrics continued to frustrate the Town players with Gary Roberts and Gavin Williams both penalised when no contact appeared to be made with the ex-Newcastle player.
On 74 Huckerby crossed and Etuhu's shot was deflected over. From the short corner, Huckerby sent the ball just beyond Dublin.
Alex Bruce was inexplicably yellow-carded in the 75th minute when he very clearly won the ball in a challenge with Huckerby. Soon after, regular derby hero Danny Haynes entered the fray for Jaime Peters, taking over from the Canadian on the right of midfield.
Haynes almost seized on a chance to add to his incredible Derby record in the 78th minute but just couldn't get Alan Lee's nod down under control.
There was a scare for the Blues in the 79th minute when a Huckerby shot took a massive deflection and Shane Supple was forced to save with his feet.
The Canaries ended the game strongly, but Earnshaw first sent the ball well over and then wide after snatching at a loose ball inside the area after a rare Wilnis error. In injury time, Fotheringham sent in a freekick and Etuhu headed wide.
East Anglian pride for 2006/07 is Town's after the 3-1 defeat earlier in the season and today's 1-1 draw, which was just about fair on the balance of play. The home side started the stronger, unsettling the Blues, but by half-time Town were on top if not creating too many clear-cut chances.
The Blues continued to have the better of it after the break, but the Canaries finished the game brightly with the dangerous Huckerby coming back into it late on after a quiet spell during the middle of the match.
Skipper Fabian Wilnis was probably the pick of the Town players, aside from a late slip, while Owen Garvan and Gavin Williams dominated the midfield in spells and Franny Jeffers continues to look an excellent acquisition should the Blues secure his permanent signing for next season.
Town: Supple, Wright, Harding, Wilnis, Bruce, Garvan, Williams, Roberts, Peters (Haynes 77), Walters (Lee 63), Jeffers. Unused: O'Callaghan, Price, Miller, Att: 25,476.
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