Norwich City 0-0 Queens Park Rangers: Hoops hold Canaries in entertaining draw
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Both sides struck the woodwork and forced a string of saves without scoring
QPR missed the chance to move up to second place in the Championship as they played out a goalless draw with Norwich at Carrow Road.
Teemu Pukki went closest for the hosts before the break when his low shot across QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng cannoned back off the left upright.
Hoops top scorer Chris Willock thundered a shot from range against the foot of the same post moments after coming on before Angus Gunn saved at full stretch to keep out Lyndon Dykes' point-blank header.
Dieng then came out to block Onel Hernandez's close-range effort before Grant Hanley struck the post with the last kick of the game.
Both sides carved out enough clear chances to win a high quality encounter but a draw was perhaps the fair result, keeping the Hoops in fourth, two points behind second-placed Blackburn, while Norwich stay fifth, two points further back.
Dieng was QPR's saviour as Norwich made a blistering start, first diving low to palm away Gabriel Sara's first-time shot, and moments later he tipped Pukki's fierce drive over the bar after a good pull-back from Aaron Ramsey.
At the other end, Ilias Chair's close-range shot from an acute angle forced City goalkeeper Angus Gunn into a smart stop.
After Norwich's flurry of chances, the visitors began to press the hosts back and almost took the lead before the break when Tim Iroegbunam drove into the box and fired a low shot which Gunn turned around the post.
QPR boss Michael Beale brought on Willock - after five games out with a hamstring injury - shortly after half-time and only the post denied him an instant impact after a thrilling run.
Norwich's pressure grew as the game wore on, but through a combination of well-organised defence, good goalkeeping and the woodwork, the game somehow remained goalless.
Norwich boss Dean Smith told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"All you can do to win a game is try and create big chances and not give away big chances and I thought we did that today. On another day we slot those chances.
"In terms of creating chances that was up there with some of the best we've created this season, but you've got to take them. I think if we'd taken one of them, it would have made QPR open up a little bit.
"They protect the middle of the pitch which we knew so we used the outside and I thought for 25 minutes we did really well using it. I thought we got a little frustrated then and forced a few things.
"For 10 minutes before half-time and the middle period of the second half I felt we lost our way a little bit, but for me it was a much better performance against a good team."
QPR manager Michael Beale told BBC London 94.9:
"I think it was a great point, for us it was a huge one after Friday night. Away to Birmingham and away to Norwich, the fixture list wasn't exactly kind to us, but we've come here tonight and put in a completely different display without three or four really important players.
"We hit the post and had a big chance from the same attack to score, but the most important thing is if you can't win, take something from the game and I was delighted.
"They played in the areas we wanted them to play which was outside us, never through us into their number 10. We needed to show a little bit more aggression and a little more belief in the duels and I thought we did second half."