The Norwich striker Grant Holt pressed his claims for an England call-up by scoring a late equaliser against Everton that helped City reach the 40-point mark at Carrow Road.
Nikica Jelavic put Everton ahead with a clever backheel before Jonny Howson equalised just before half-time with his first Norwich goal.
Jelavic added his fourth goal in four games to make it 2-1 in controversial circumstances after Norwich thought they should have had a foul, but the home crowd breathed a sigh of relief when Holt swept home his 13th Premier League goal of the season with 14 minutes to go.
Everton made the running early on and Darron Gibson fired a volley wide from the edge of the box. In the fifth minute Magaye Gueye picked out the in-form striker Jelavic at the back post but he failed to connect properly with his header.
The hulking frame of Holt, recalled after a one-match suspension, was proving to be a nuisance for the away side, however. Phil Jagielka brought down the Canaries striker on the edge of the box in the 19th minute but Elliott Bennett drove straight in to the wall from the resulting free-kick.
Everton took the lead three minutes later thanks to Jelavic's third goal in four games. Leighton Baines found Phil Jagielka in the box, he spun his marker and squared for the Croatian, who tapped home from close range with a clever backheel.
Baines was booked in the following minute for clambering over Bennett's back as the Canaries looked for an immediate response. Everton almost went 2-0 up when Tony Hibbert's cross struck the woodwork and Tim Cahill failed to poke home the rebound.
Wes Hoolahan and Andrew Surman were putting in impressive shifts in midfield but Norwich got their reward for increased pressure six minutes before the break when Howson scored his debut Canaries goal.
Drury released Hoolahan down the left flank, he cut inside the box and squared to the former Leeds player, who calmly slotted home from six yards.
Baines sent Fox tumbling with a studs up challenge soon afterwards and the left-back was lucky to avoid a second yellow.
Seamus Coleman replaced Gueye at half-time to make his first appearance in three weeks and Norwich started the second half brightly. Pienaar saw yellow for cynically hacking down the Canaries goalscorer from behind and Norwich were starting to win the battle for supremacy in midfield so David Moyes called on Marouane Fellaini, who replaced Phil Neville with 56 minutes gone.
Norwich went behind again on the hour after Pienaar fell under a challenge and held the ball between his legs. Norwich appealed for a foul, but Andre Marriner's whistle never came. Fellaini then picked up the ball and found Baines, who laid off to Pienaar and his cross was converted by Jelavic from close range.
The Canaries players were incensed that Marriner had not given a foul against Pienaar, who enjoyed the moment by celebrating in front of the home fans.



Advertisements




guardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds



More...