City boss Bryan Gunn tonight pleaded for a little patience from the Canary faithful as 12 “cup finals” now loomed large on his radar.
Hard on the heels of this afternoon's 1-1 draw with play-off chasing Burnley, comes a second home game against Coventry City next weekend.
That needs to deliver the three, huge points that today's performance just about deserved as the Canaries enjoyed by far the greater share of the possession against a big, awkward and well-organised Clarets outfit.
“We could have won it – Brian Jensen had to make a couple of fantastic saves,” said the City chief, as the Burnley No1 produced a superb reaction stop to deny Carl Cort at 1-0 and another, fine one-handed to thwart Jason Shackell at 1-1.
Once again, City just lacked that final, killer touch; in fairness, at the back end of the team concentration levels appear to have improved. Goal apart, it was not until the 93rd minute that substitute Chris Eagles threatened David Marshall's goal.
“I think the first one was probably the most crucial because had we got 2-0 in front it would certainly have given us something more to hang onto,” said Gunn, after Jamie Cureton marked his return to the starting line-up with his second goal of the season.
“But Burnley, we know, will keep going and keep going, but apart from the one Chris Eagles chance late in the game I can't remember too many other moments to worry about,” added the City chief.
At 1-1, however, the crowd's natural anxiety started to seep through onto the touchline – Gunn's managerial learning curve continued as the timing and nature of his substitutions came under the micro-scope – Cort's exit, in particular.
“I know how frustrated the crowd can get at Carrow Road,” said the City goalkeeping legend. “And when they got back to 1-1, there was a little bit of frustration that came out there – you could hear it when you're standing there on the touchline.
“You're starting to learn who the jokers are in the crowd when you make a substitution – probably the same guys who are screaming at players. And it doesn't help. It doesn't help the players.
“They need to be patient, the crowd. We had chances in the second-half; we didn't shut up shop and try for a draw. And but for another good save from Brian Jensen we could have got something more from the game.”
As ever, the game came with that reasonable list of what-might-have-beens. The big one was that 25th minute save from Jensen to the excellent Cort.
It was a tailor-made, hanging cross from Lee Croft. Little more than six yards out, the re-born Canary striker almost shaped himself well enough; head over the ball, he got some of the power required – just not the direction as Jensen pulled off a very decent, point-blank save to deny him.
And this week's big chance duly came and went. And the one-time that Burnley strung a decent collection of passes together… they scored.
Robbie Blake eventually found himself free enough through the inside right channel to drive goal-ward. David Marshall's half-save saw the ball pop and out again where the waiting Steve Thompson was on hand to poach a 36th minute leveller.
It was the same story after the break. Gary Doherty would head the ball down; Shackell would dig out a left-foot volley that Jensen would again claw to safety as Cureton lurked. Something needed to drop Norwich's way. And it wouldn't.
Again, the pace and quality of Norwich's final delivery didn't always help. When they did move the ball with pace and purpose – and a heightened forward angle – so the better opportunities arose.
Skipper Mark Fotheringham would test Jensen to his right again after Croft's early and angled cross had found Cort knocking the ball down at the far post. But it was all-too rare; for all their decent possession, clear-cut chances remained all-too few and far between.
Until the final, few fraught moments when – needless to say – Burnley almost took full advantage of those nervous nineties as the ball whipped through an unguarded six-yard box and just over Marshall's bar.
All of which, again, summed up Norwich's season. Or rather, would have done had Burnley nicked a last-gasp winner.
The fact that they didn't might suggest that Norwich have improved; if only in terms of earning themselves a bigger slice of luck.
The willingness is there. Now there needs to be the points.
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