The pre-season favourites for promotion looked to be on course for three points after record signing Dean Ashton headed powerfully home from a cross by impressive debutant Dean Marney after 21 minutes. A drop in tempo after half time allowed Micky Adam's visitors back into the match, however, and they were well worth their equaliser, which came through Dele Adebola after good work by young striker Gary McSheffrey midway through the second half.
Ashton picked up where he left off last season, when he scored seven Premiership goals after joining the Canaries in January, and was unlucky not to put Norwich back in front when he crashed another header against the crossbar. The result, and performance, left boss Nigel worthington under no illusion to the difficulty of the task ahead.
"I think it's a big reality check", he told the official club website. "If you look at some of the other results there's no guarantee of anything. One thing we have to do is learn from today."
One thing the manager can take from the match was the performance of Marney, on a season long loan from Spurs, who threatened throughout before making way for Peter Thorne in the 80th minute. Matthieu Louis-Jean and Andy Hughes also made their first starts while Thorne and Jason Jarrett appeared from the bench. In the absence of the departed Damien Francis, and with Jarrett and Yousef Safri struggling for fitness, veteran Simon Charlton started in an unfamiliar position in midfield, while the newly lean Gary Doherty continues to be preferred to Jason Shackell in defence despite his role in City's renaissance last term.
City's next match will be on Tuesday, again at Carrow Road, against Crewe Alexandra. The Railwaymen won their opening match yesterday 2-1 against Burnley, and will be reunited with their former star Ashton for the first time.