Middlesbrough players disappointed after goalless draw against Norwich City
Jack Wilshere marked his debut in interim charge of Norwich by putting a dent in the Championship promotion hopes of former England teammate Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough after a goalless draw at the Riverside Stadium.
The result took Boro's promotion destiny out of their hands with one game of the Championship season to go.
Boro, who are now two points behind Coventry in ninth place, now have to beat the Sky Blues away and hope other results go their way if they are to reach the play-offs.
Both sides had chances to win a game which sprung into life after half-time with Angus Gunn in the Norwich goal and his opposite number Mark Travers both called into action.
Of the two sides it was the visitors who engineered the best of the chances with Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent both denied with brilliant stops by the Middlesbrough keeper just after the hour mark.
Boro huffed and puffed in front of goal with Aidan Morris coming closest, but Norwich managed to hold them at bay.
- Published22 April
If this was an audition to become the permanent replacement for Johannes Hoff Thorup following the Norwegian's exit from Carrow Road earlier this week, it was not a bad effort.
Wilshere is running the London Marathon on Sunday and could be set for a similarly extended run in the Canaries dugout, judged on how his side performed.
Norwich had little to shout about in the first half, which Boro just about shaded, but in the second period, the home side needed a brilliant display from Travers to keep the Canaries out.
Travers saved from Liam Gibbs just after the hour mark before denying Sainz and Sargent in a brilliant double stop.
At the other end Gunn had to be alert to tipping Morris's effort on to a post and blocking Tommy Conway's low effort.
A draw was undoubtedly a disappointment for Carrick and Boro but their play-off hopes are still intact. Just.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"We needed to the win the game and we just didn't have that moment that we needed to find. There was a couple of moments but it just didn't drop for us.
"It's still possible next week, we know what the last day of the season brings with the ups, downs and the swings so we've got a chance, whatever that chance is, but after today we're bitterly disappointed.
"There's nothing else we can do, we have to accept that. We didn't get what we wanted from today and that's the situation. We've got to go into next week with the belief and hope and try to do the right things for ourselves.
"I can't fault the players, they care a lot, they're desperate to win and they were out on their feet at the end but we couldn't find what we needed.
"It's there for all of us to know that anything can happen on the last day. We've got to go there believing we can get what we want."
Norwich interim boss Jack Wilshere speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk:
"I'm so proud of them. When you go through a week like we have, emotions all over place.
"The focus was to try to create something like that, to be harder to play against.
"The challenge was can we keep a clean sheet, can we stay in the game? We know we've got quality going forward and another day those goals go in.
"The response from everyone, not just the players, the fans as well but also the staff that have supported me, that have come together behind me, and it's been a really emotional week for me personally but I would say for a lot of people as well."
