Canaries miss their chance

West Bromwich Albion 0 Norwich 0

Nigel Worthington’s Norwich team left The Hawthorns surely knowing they had blown a glorious chance to break their Premiership duck.

Darren Huckerby, Leon McKenzie and Mattias Jonson all missed clear-cut opportunities to see off fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion before the interval.

And clear evidence of frustration all round at the final whistle indicated what a winter of serious struggle lies ahead for these two newly-promoted clubs.

Albion missed half-chances but their forward threat was non-existent and their defensive errors would have been pounced upon by better teams.

But the Canaries proved they are not yet quite up to the job by failing to capitalise despite having travelled west confident of finally claiming a three-point haul at the ninth time of asking.

Albion started with hope of their own having been buoyed by their own first victory two weeks ago.

And it took only three minutes for Zoltan Gera – the man who inspired their win over Bolton – to make his mark.

The Hungarian hammered a right-foot volley from outside the box which flashed just beyond the base of Robert Green’s right-hand post.

But Albion would soon fade, and the first of the visitors’ numerous first-half opportunities arrived for Leon McKenzie in the ninth minute.

He stole in unmarked at the far post to meet Darren Huckerby’s inch-perfect right-wing cross but could only loft it weakly over the bar.

With Albion’s record signing Robert Earnshaw again starting on the bench, the home side’s biggest threat was posed by central defender Darren Moore.

His neat header in the box almost found fellow defender Thomas Gaardsoe and Moore also knocked another chance wide.

But Huckerby remained a constant handful for the home side whose first half defensive lapses ought to have cost them dear.

The striker beat two Albion defenders as he cut in from the right before hitting a rising shot straight at Russell Hoult.

One minute later Huckerby was gifted an even better chance when McKenzie dispossessed Moore and set him clear.

Huckerby drew Russell Hoult to the edge of his box but flipped a dreadful final effort well wide of target.

Moore headed another Greening corner wide and Andy Johnson fired well over the bar from long-range as the tempo began to increase.

More hesitation in the Baggies’ defence continued to present Norwich with clear-cut chances with Jonson almost seizing his chance just past the half-hour.

He was sent clear into the right side of the Albion box by Huckerby but blasted his shot into the side-netting when he should have scored.

Green had to spare Gary Holt’s blushes one minute from the break with a diving save after Bernd Haas’ cross deflected goalwards off the Canaries defender.

But City remained undaunted by that late scare and continued to fashion the better chances early in the second period.

Bentley’s deep cross from the left dribbled to Jonson on the far post but his header down from point-blank range was somehow scooped clear by Hoult.

Albion were struggling to adapt to City’s more positive attitude with their best early chance falling to Riccardo Scimeca, who shot wide from Greening’s cross.

Boss Gary Megson had seen enough and pressed for the win by introducing record signing Robert Earnshaw and midfielder Jason Koumas.

The home side came close just after the hour when Greening’s low right-foot shot was spilled by Green and flapped away at the second attempt under pressure from Horsfield.

Koumas’ introduction gave a little more purpose to Albion’s attacking moves but they continued to lack that crucial final ball.

Horsfield barged his way down the left wing in the 75th minute but after cutting inside he blazed a powerful right-foot shot over the bar.

And with an increasing degree of desperation entering the forward moves of both sides, Norwich substitute Thomas Helveg blazed his 81st-minute effort over the bar from Huckerby’s corner.