OXFORD United battled to an impressive point at a Norwich City side with aspirations of reaching the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.
Josh Sargent gave the Canaries the lead with just five minutes on the clock as he finished from close range from a right wing cross, but Mark Harris grabbed a leveller 13 minutes later when he poked in from a couple of yards out after a long throw from Will Vaulks wasn’t dealt with by the hosts.
Gary Rowett made two changes to the side which lost 3-2 a home to Coventry City, as Hidde ter Avest and Alex Matos came into the starting line-up in place of Peter Kioso and Tyler Goodrham.
There was also a change in shape for United, with Rowett switching to a 3-5-2 set-up which saw ter Avest and Przemyslaw Placheta as the wing backs, with Ole Romeny and Harris up front together.
As for the hosts, the headline news was that due to injuries, third choice goalkeeper Vicente Reyes was between the posts for his Canaries debut.
The U’s had a sight of goal inside the opening 60 seconds, as Romeny bent a left-footed strike into the gloves of Reyes from inside the penalty box.
But with five minutes on the clock, the Canaries took the lead.
The questionable part of United’s set-up was how Placheta would fare as the left wing back, and it was down his side that Canaries right back Kellen Fisher crossed for Sargent to tap in from close range.
Two minutes later, Ciaron Brown swung in a teasing cross which narrowly evaded both Harris and then Romeny.
The U’s did grab a leveller though after 18 minutes, as a long throw-in hurled in by Vaulks caused problems in the Canaries penalty box, allowing Harris to scrap in a couple of yards for his first goal since Boxing Day.
Another long throw-in via Vaulks from an almost identical area won United a corner six minutes later, while Borja Sainz was unable to stretch enough and make contact with Jacob Wright’s clever ball from deep.
Two minutes before the break, Sargent had the ball in the back of the net again, but this time the offside flag went up against him.
Soon into the second period, Sainz sent a wild effort flying over the crossbar after a corner landed at his feet outside the penalty box.
The Canaries were closer to going back in front when a left wing cross wasn’t dealt with by the U’s, and Ante Crnac sent the loose ball into the gloves of Jamie Cumming.
At the other end, United probably should’ve worked a better opportunity for themselves when Harris got into the right channel of the penalty area, however Romeny wasn’t able to make contact with his strike partner’s cutback.
Rowett made his first alterations with 63 minutes on the clock, as Matt Phillips and Ruben Rodrigues replaced Placheta and Romeny respectively.
Crnac then tested Cumming again, this time by cutting onto his left foot and firing a stinging effort which Cumming fisted over.
Rowett made another double substitution with eight minutes to go, as Sam Long and Idris El Mizouni came on for ter Avest and Matos respectively.
In the closing stages, the U’s frustrated the home crowd by taking their time with goal kicks and free kicks in defensive situations, and effectively ran down the clock at Carrow Road.
In the last minute, United needed Cumming to stretch out a leg and make a fantastic save after Sainz found himself in space down the left channel of the box.
Four additional minutes were signalled, but the U’s saw them out amid some heavy Canaries pressure to ensure a hard-earned point was collected.
Norwich City (4-3-3): Reyes; Fisher, Doyle, Cordoba, Stacey (Marcondes 82); Wright (Hernandez 72), Sorensen, Ben Slimane (McLean 63); Crnac (Schwartau 82), Sargent, Sainz.
Unused subs: Barden, Duffy, McConville, Djedje, Myles.
Booked: None.
Oxford United (3-5-2): Cumming; Helik, Moore, Brown; ter Avest (Long 82), Matos (El Mizouni 82), Vaulks, Brannagan, Placheta (Phillips 63); Romeny (Rodrigues 63), Harris (Mills 88).
Unused subs: Ingram, Kioso, Goodrham, Dembele.
Booked: Moore, Brown.
Referee: James Bell (South Yorkshire)
Attendance: 25,996 (1,025 away)