Last-gasp Jones denies Norwich

Norwich 1 Stoke 1

Ritchie de Laet had scored against his old club to put the Canaries in front at the break.

And after Republic of Ireland striker Jon Walters saw his penalty saved following Leon Barnett’s red card on the hour, it looked as if Norwich would hold on — only for Stoke’s pressure to eventually tell with Jones nodding in from close range.

The key incident of the match occurred just after the hour when Walters got ahead of Barnett and into the Norwich box, before tumbling.

Referee Neil Swarbrick ruled Barnett had tripped him and, as the last man, awarded a penalty and sent the Norwich defender off.

Walters took the spot-kick himself, but John Ruddy made a fine save.

Stoke, though, were to have the final say as the visitors poured forward and in the third minute of added time Jones headed in Glenn Whelan’s cross.

Lambert lamented the penalty decision, saying: “It was at least three yards outside the box, so how he gives the penalty, I don’t know, and then he has given the red card.

“We were on the back foot against a really good side, but the effort of the lads was excellent. You are disappointed not to win, but we are not too despondent because it was a big effort, with our first home game, I thought we played really well.’’

NORWICH: Ruddy, Naughton, Barnett, De Laet, Tierney, Bennett (Surman 74), Crofts, Bradley Johnson, Pilkington (Ayala 66), Holt, Chris Martin (Jackson 84).

STOKE: Begovic, Shawcross, Huth, Woodgate (Shotton 77), Wilson, Pennant (Pugh 31), Whelan, Whitehead, Etherington, Jones, Walters.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).