Match Reports

Norwich City 1-1 Albion

Norwich report

Albion played out a 1-1 draw with Norwich City on Saturday afternoon at Carrow Road.

Dara O'Shea's early header had given the visitors the lead going into the second half, but Sam Byram's controversial leveller meant the points were shared.

The Baggies are next in action on Saturday, October 1, against Swansea City at The Hawthorns.

Boss Steve Bruce handed first starts to Erik Pieters and Brandon Thomas-Asante in East Anglia.

The boys from the Black Country faced a different challenge against the Canaries compared to the one they faced on Wednesday night, with Dean Smith’s men dominating most of the possession during the first 45 - a similar theme of the Baggies’ play during the opening stages of the campaign.

Still, Albion made the most of the opportunities which came their way and on nine minutes, they punished some lapse City defending to take the lead.

John Swift’s looping delivery to the back post found O’Shea all alone, and after beating the offside trap, the defender made no mistake in directing a header past Tim Krul in the home goal to hand the initiative to the visitors.

Dara O'Shea netted his second goal of the season to put Albion ahead at Carrow Road

Good anticipation could’ve earned the Baggies a second goal when Grady Diangana intercepted just outside the Norwich area and fed Swift, inside the box before the midfielder was hauled down by Grant Hanley.

But, unfortunately, referee Thomas Bramall denied the away side a penalty by ignoring the appeals.

For all of Norwich’s control on the ball during the first 45, they only managed a few attempts at goal. Marcelino Núñez smashed two shots from the edge of the box over and Gabriel Sara hit the top of the bar from a tight angle, but Bruce’s side defended well to preserve the lead at half-time.

Albion continued to frustrate the hosts after the break, sending dangerous balls into Diangana’s path down the left flank, and it was they who came closest to finding the next goal.

Jayson Molumby skewed an effort just wide and Thomas-Asante did the same from a similar position, and for all their determined play at the start of the second 45, it was City who levelled matters.

A cutback down the left flank found the Finnish forward Pukki in space on the edge, and his left-footed shot bounced off of Byram to make it 1-1 on 69 minutes, with Albion appeals for hand ball waved away.

Substitute Kieran Dowell sent a shot into keeper David Button's grasp and Conor Townsend produced a fine tackle to deny Josh Sargent as the Baggies absorbed late pressure from the Canaries, but time ran out for a winner as Bruce's men returned to B71 with a point.

Albion: Button; Furlong, O’Shea, Townsend, Pieters; Molumby (Phillips 90+2), Livermore ©, Swift; Diangana (Reach 87), Thomas-Asante (Grant 78), Wallace.

Substitutes: Palmer, Kelly, Gardner-Hickman, Yokuslu.