Norwich City 1-1 Reading: Andy Carroll penalty denies Canaries victory
- Published
- comments
Andy Carroll's second-half penalty was his fourth goal of the season
Norwich City were denied victory in their first match following the sacking of head coach Dean Smith as Andy Carroll's late penalty secured a point for Reading.
Smith departed on Tuesday following a run of only three wins in 13 league games which had seen the Canaries drop from the top of the Championship to fifth in the table.
With Allan Russell and Steve Weaver placed in caretaker charge at Carrow Road, Adam Idah swept in a fierce half-volley to put the hosts ahead eight minutes after the restart.
However, former England striker Carroll fired in from the spot in the 83rd minute after Nesta Guinness-Walker was tripped in the box by Kieran Dowell.
The draw moves Norwich up three places to seventh - and outside the play-off places on goal difference only - while Reading are three places behind but level on 36 points with the Norfolk club.
Russell and Weaver made three changes from the defeat at Luton on Boxing Day, with Idah handed his first start of the season and Sam McCallum and Marcelino Nunez also recalled.
Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn tipped a free-kick from Tom Ince over the bar early on before the Canaries had three good chances in one move to take the lead.
A flick from Idah released Teemu Pukki but the Finland international was closed down by Joe Lumley, with Josh Sargent's follow-up effort cleared off the line by Tom McIntyre before Idah sliced over the bar.
Junior Hoilett whistled another set piece past the Norwich post on the stroke of half-time and it was the hosts who went ahead when Idah smartly latched on to Pukki's nod down after a spell of head tennis in the Reading box and found the bottom left-hand corner.
Lucas Joao was denied an equaliser just after the hour mark by the legs of Gunn and Sargent almost made it 2-0 shortly after but saw his shot smothered by Lumley.
However, after substitute Guinness-Walker was felled while dribbling into the box from the left flank, Carroll made no mistake from 12 yards to score his fourth goal of the campaign and second in successive games.
Norwich remain in the hunt for an immediate return to the Premier League as they search for a new manager, with their next match at home against fifth-placed Watford on Monday.
Paul Ince's Reading, meanwhile, have been beaten just once in their past five outings and are well placed outside the play-off spots as the Royals prepare to travel to West Bromwich Albion, also on 2 January.
Norwich caretaker Allan Russell told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"Without doubt we deserved to win that game.
"The decision from the referee (for the penalty) is a really poor one. The boy arrives in the penalty area and steps on Dowell's foot.
"I said to the boys that I am really gutted for them because I thought they gave it every ounce of energy, enthusiasm and bravery.
"There is no magic wand that fixes things but I thought the boys were really good. It'll be an amazing job for someone."
Reading boss Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"That's a great, great point. To come here with a team that has just lost their manager, you can sense the atmosphere with the fans and they were up for it.
"Second half we played some good stuff and Norwich got the goal, which was disappointing, but our players never give up.
"I am so proud of them. They dig in and fight.
"We are nowhere near where we want to be but we haven't got the budgets that these other teams have got."