Norwich just miss out on first Premiership win

Norwich 1 Blackburn 1

Blackburn battled back from having Jay Bothroyd sent off to earn a point at fellow Barclays Premiership strugglers Norwich.

Bothroyd needlessly got himself dismissed for kicking out at Canaries’ winger Mattias Jonson two minutes before the break.

Mathias Svensson’s 55th-minute volley looked to have been enough to give Norwich their first win of the season, but a late rally from the visitors saw Nils-Eric Johansson hit the bar before Paul Dickov’s header with four minutes left gave Rovers a deserved share of the spoils.

Nigel Worthington’s side started brightly, Darren Huckerby’s early cross almost finding Jonson at the far post.

In the fourth minute, a corner from the Norwich right was nodded back across goal by Craig Fleming. Svensson jumped well at the far post, but could not get over the ball enough and his looping header came back off the angle of post and crossbar.

Blackburn, though, looked dangerous on the counter-attack, with Bothroyd ready to take on the Norwich full-back Adam Drury down the flank at every opportunity.

After 11 minutes, Johansson’s poor control gifted possession to Svensson 25 yards out. The big Swede laid the ball sideways into the path of his countryman, Jonson. Although the midfielder made good contact, his low shot flew just wide of Brad Friedel’s right-hand post.

A lovely turn by Huckerby left his two markers for dead on the by-line. He slipped a pass inside the Rovers defence for Damien Francis to run onto in the penalty area.

The former Wimbledon man held the ball up well, but was soon crowded out and Friedel eventually deflected his shot on the turn behind for a corner which came to nothing.

Pushing so far forwards, Norwich were always likely to be hit on the break. And Craig Fleming needed to make a timely intervention to cut out a pass from Paul Dickov which would have sent Brett Emerton clear through on goal.

With 10 minutes to go to half-time, Francis twisted his way into the Rovers box before driving the ball goalwards. His shot cannoned up off Andy Todd and Friedel did well to parry behind from point-blank range.

After hardly being troubled, Norwich keeper Robert Green was alert enough to beat away Bothroyd’s snapshot from 18 yards after good work from Dickov.

Another fine stop from the England squad man was needed to deny the Rovers striker again five minutes from time, Green saving at full stretch high to his right.

Moments later, though, Bothroyd was shown a straight red card by referee Steve Dunn after needlessly kicking Jonson when the ball had gone out as the pair tussled on the by-line.

The referee consulted both of his assistants before reaching for his pocket, and Bothroyd may have felt he was being held by the Sweden international.

But neither the former Arsenal trainee – currently on a season-long loan from Italian side Perugia – nor the Rovers manager will be able to have any complaints once the ugly incident is reviewed on TV.

Jonson, meanwhile, went off at half-time, replaced by youngster Ian Henderson.

Rovers were the first to show after the break, Steven Reid’s low shot well held at the near post by Green.

Norwich, though, were patient in their build-up, happy to keep possession and wait for an opening with the extra man. It finally came on 55 minutes.

Drury swept a deep cross into the danger area, and Fleming got ahead of his marker to nod the ball down. McKenzie flicked it on along the six-yard line to the near post, where Svensson was on hand to send a left-foot volley past Friedel for his first goal of the season.

Rovers immediately went in search of an equaliser, and it needed a couple of brave blocks from the Norwich defence to charge down efforts from Dickov and Reid.

The home side looked nervous after getting their noses in front, wary of how important a maiden victory would be to their on-going battle against avoiding a swift return to the Football League, and Green had to punch clear under pressure from Reid.

Leon McKenzie then almost made it 2-0 with a fierce drive from the edge of the area which had Friedel beaten, but flew just wide after 64 minutes.

Rovers were then within inches of equalising when Johansson’s bullet header crashed back off the bar, then Flitcroft’s follow-up shot hit Dickov and was hacked clear.

The visitors finally got their rewards to level on 86 minutes when Dickov headed home Lucas Neill’s cross into the six-yard box.