Norwich City 1-1 Bristol Rovers: Pirates frustrate Canaries to secure FA Cup third-round replay

League One side Bristol Rovers earned a deserved home third-round replay against Norwich City of the Championship, with a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Carrow Road.

After a tense opening, Ashley Barnes settled a few Norwich nerves when he tucked in after Onel Hernandez had tracked Adam Forshaw’s ball forward, shrugged off Tristan Crama and laid it square.

Yet, Rovers were level five minutes later when Grant Ward curled expertly with the edge of his right boot into the top left corner, after Harvey Vale’s fierce drive was parried out and not sufficiently cleared.

Matthew Cox had to be alert to deny City’s Josh Sargent when he turned his near-post fizzer behind for a corner, while Jevani Brown was defied by Canaries goalkeeper Long and Luke Thomas’ searing strike smacked the post and out for Rovers.

Both sides struggled to create genuine goalscoring chances after the break, but there was always a threat from both teams.

Norwich sent on regulars Adam Idah and Jonathan Rowe in a bid to swing the tie, and the former swiped over in stoppage time.

In the end, the Gas more than held on – and almost won it themselves after a dangerous corner was palmed out by Long in the Norwich goal at the end, to secure a deserved spot in the draw and a possibly lucrative replay on home soil.

They have not been in the fourth round since 2008, while their opponents had won three of the past four third-round ties, but not today.

Having discovered some form in League One under mid-season appointment Taylor, Rovers did not look out of place at Carrow Road with a tidy, expansive style of football which made the best use of wide players Vale and Thomas.

This was an wide open encounter which belied the 21-place gap between the teams, something not lost on Norwich fans who expected their side not only to be in the mix for promotion to the top flight – which has not yet materialised, but also to be capable of dispatching such opponents.

Wagner named a strong enough side, with Josh Sargent and Ashley Barnes among the starters, but was forced to send on first-team regulars in pursuit of a winner.

Norwich were hardly outplayed, but neither did they create the volume of chances expected, and the jeers at full-time were in keeping with recent dissatisfaction around sections of the support.

Norwich boss David Wagner told BBC Radio Norfolk:

“I’m frustrated, disappointed and angry. We were poor today and this is the truth. I expected much more from us, individuals and collectively as well.

“We got the lead, but we were below par. We and I have had higher demands on the players than what they have shown today and this is why we have not won this game.

“We have to be much more dominant, show more energy, enthusiasm and aggression and be more calm on the ball – there were so many unforced errors from individuals who normally should be fresh because they haven’t been used so much in the busy period.

“They haven’t produced the performance they are capable of and which we expect from them.”

Bristol Rovers boss Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Bristol:

“We can’t always be greedy in football despite wanting to be, especially with the chances we created.

“I’m so pleased with the performance and with what the team and the club stood for today, in terms of effort on the pitch and the effort from the fans.

“We’re still in the draw, we don’t feel it was a missed opportunity, the opportunity will now come in the space of 10 days’ time.”