Norwich City ended a run of three straight Championship defeats with a battling 2-2 draw at West Brom on Saturday.

Johannes Hoff Thorup’s squad fell behind, then went in front, and were pegged back again in a see-saw first half at the Hawthorns.

Mason Holgate put the Baggies ahead in the 11th minute but Emi Marcondes levelled with a sharp near post burst and a finish at full stretch.

Torbjorn Heggem then turned a ball past his keeper, Alex Palmer, following fine interplay between Marcondes and Borja Sainz, but Josh Maja pounced to draw Albion level in the 43rd minute.

Neither side were able to find a winner in a tight second half, with Angus Gunn a reassuring presence on his return from an injury lay-off.

City did carry a threat on the counter, with Sainz and the fit-again Onel Hernandez both having chances.

Jose Cordoba was the headline omission from the Norwich starting line up. The Panamanian international was ruled out with a knee issue, but Thorup confirmed afterwards did train on Thursday before feeling some knee pain on Friday.

Callum Doyle partnered Shane Duffy in central defence, after the duo had sat out international duty following a heavy domestic workload.

Kellen Fisher switched to left back, with Jack Stacey back in the side in his natural right full back slot and Gunn making a welcome return after his spell on the sidelines with a side strain.

Jacob Sorensen retained his place in central midfield with Kenny McLean serving the final game of his four-match suspension, and Marcelino Nunez still not available for selection after his hamstring lay-off.

Amankwah Forson got the nod in an attacking three with Ante Crnac restored to the middle in the absence of first choice injured striker Josh Sargent, and Sainz on the left.

Hernandez and Liam Gibbs were available for selection among the substitutes after lengthy lay-offs. But Ashley Barnes was not in the matchday mix following his recent return to training after a long term absence with a calf-related problem.

Tom Fellows dipped inside Fisher but his shot struck Marcondes inside the opening few moments.

Holgate sliced Jacob Sorensen’s cross straight to City dangerman Sainz, who curled a shot from 18 yards at Alex Palmer.

Anis Ben Slimane headed away from Fellows, before Duffy’s near post positioning cleared the danger when Alex Mowatt got to the byline.

But Norwich failed to heed the warning signs, and from a quickly-taken Karlan Grant corner Holgate showed a striker’s instinct to get in front of Duffy and flick past Gunn from inside the six yard box.

Sainz’s speculative long range hit spiralled to Stacey up in support, but the recalled full back sliced his cross into the home fans.

Not to be deterred, Stacey offered himself again on the overlap for Duffy to slide a long, low pass down the right that he clipped first time for Marcondes to finish.

Television replays underlined the degree of difficulty in the Dane’s slot, as he directed the ball home at the near post at full stretch.

Sainz then fired straight at Palmer, when the ball spiralled towards the unmarked Spaniard. Forson got a tap of appreciation from captain Duffy for sensing the need to get out and close down a skidding Grant strike that flew just the right side of Gunn’s left-hand post from 20 yards.

The emergency attacker then went close at the opposite end on the half-hour mark when he opened up his body to curl a left footer wide from Stacey’s set.

City had a let off moments later when Mikey Johnston slammed over his volley on the angle of the six yard box from Doyle’s glancing near post headed flick.

Gunn’s positioning was secure to get his body behind a well-struck Grant shot from range.

But the game moved through the gears in the final minutes of the opening period with Heggem diverting the ball past his own keeper after a mesmerising passage of incisive passing sparked by Doyle, Marcondes and Sainz.

City’s lead lasted barely two minutes, before Albion top scorer Maja got in front of Stacey to divert home Fellows’ cross at the back post.

West Brom thought they had gone back in front a minute later when Grant rifled into the roof of Gunn’s net, but the officials ruled out the goal after the ball initially reared up against Grant’s arm from a Marcondes’ deflection.

Forson then sidefooted at Palmer from another Sainz dart as a pulsating half drew to a close.

Albion started the more aggressive after the break. Grant’s slaloming run earned a corner before Gunn was alert at his near post to block Fellows’ angled strike.

The Scotland number one was then behind Johnston’s effort, after a wayward Doyle crossfield pass was intercepted, before the impressive Grant rose unmarked only to glance a header over the top from eight yards.

The Manchester City loanee readjusted the radar to superb effect in the 59th minute with a defence-splitting pass to release Sainz on the counter, but the flyer’s tame effort was gathered by Palmer after racing the length of the home half.

Slimane and Marcondes combined to work Fisher into space but his low cross evaded the gathering yellow shirts.

Thorup turned to Gibbs and Hernandez just past the hour mark, with Forson and Crnac making way and Hernandez pushed into the central role of the attacking three.

Gunn thwarted Jed Wallace in the 75th minute with a sprawling stop at the edge of his area, although the West Brom substitute was adjudged to have ran from an offside position.

Gibbs and Hernandez linked up in the 79th minute but Sainz had moved to the near post as the Cuban cut the ball behind him.

Sainz then went on one of his trademark slaloming runs across the box before unleashing a rising right footed effort that just cleared Palmer’s bar.

Norwich continued to threaten on the counter in the closing stages, with Hernandez bursting clear in the 83rd minute, but Heggem produced a vital last-ditch sliding tackle as the Cuban prepared to shoot.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION:

(Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

Substitutes:

44: Cole (for Maja, 83)

17: Diakité

19: Dobbin (for Fellows, 70)

24: Frabotta

20: Račić (for Mowatt, 70)

10: Swift (for Grant, 90)

7: Wallace (for Johnston, 70)

34: Whitwell

23: Wildsmith

Head Coach: Carlos Corberan

Bookings: Furlong (foul on Sainz, 39)

Goals: Holgate (11), Maja (43)

NORWICH CITY:

(Image: Adam Harvey/Newsquest)

Substitutes:

14: Chrisene

16: Fassnacht

8: Gibbs (for Forson, 64)

21: Gordon (for Slimane, 90)

5: Hanley

25: Hernández (for Crnac, 64)

40: Hills

12: Long

29: Schwartau (for Sorensen, 81)

Head Coach: Johannes Hoff Thorup

Bookings: Slimane (foul on Molumby, 51); Fisher (foul on Grant, 66)

Goals: Marcondes (20), Heggem og (41)

KEY MOMENTS

5: 0-0 Tom Fellows dips inside Kellen Fisher but shot strikes Emi Marcondes

8: 0-0 Mason Holgate slices Jacob Sorensen clearance at Borja Sainz, who drills a shot at Alex Palmer

11: 1-0 Holgate flicks home from a quick corner routine that saw Karlan Grant whip a ball to the near post

18: 1-0 Sainz tries his luck from 20 yards. The ball is deflected to Jack Stacey, who slices his cross behind

20: 1-1 Shane Duffy raking low pass for the overlapping Stacey to first time cross near post for the sliding Marcondes to finish inside the six yard box

23: 1-1 Sainz side foots at Palmer from 12 yards when the ball spins to him

27: 1-1 Forson out to get a touch to Grant’s skidding effort that flew past Gunn’s left-hand post

30: 1-1 Stacey on the charge again. Clips it inside for Amankwah Forson to open up his body and curl a left footer just wide from 18 yards

31: 1-1 Sainz surrounded by four inside the Albion box but wins a corner when his shot ricochets off the back of Jayson Molumby

33: 1-1 Mikey Johnston slams a volley over at the back post from a glancing Callum Doyle headed flick to a Tom Fellows’ cross

36: 1-1 Angus Gunn’s positioning was secure to get his body behind a well-struck Grant shot from range

41: 1-2 Torbjorn Heggem gets the final touch as Sainz prepares to shoot to divert the ball past his keeper Palmer. But a superb Norwich build up sparked by Doyle’s burst, then a mesmerising interchange between Marcondes and Sainz to work the Spaniard into the area

43: 2-2 Josh Maja levels for the hosts when he gets across Stacey to despatch Fellows’ cross

43: 2-2 Grant rifles into the roof of the net but ruled out for controlling Marcondes’ deflection with his arm

45: 2-2 Sainz squares for Forson who sidefoots at Palmer from 18 yards

47: 2-2 Gunn smart stop at his near post to keep out Fellows’ angled lash

53: 2-2 Wayward Doyle crossfield ball to Johnston but Gunn is behind the strike before Grant rises unmarked to glance over a header

54: 2-2 Stacey’s persistence prevents Grant from testing the City backline when he conceded a corner following a jinking run

59: 2-2 Doyle side rule pass out of defence for Sainz to burst clear and check inside but a tame effort at Palmer

75: 2-2 Gunn makes a sprawling stop from Jed Wallace but the substitute was adjudged to have been offside

80: 2-2 Slaloming Sainz run before a 25-yard strike just cleared the bar

83: 2-2 Onel Hernandez races clear on the counter but Heggem makes a vital last-ditch sliding challenge as he prepares to shoot on the angle of the six yard box

SNAP PLAYER RATINGS

Gunn 7, Stacey 7, Duffy 7, Doyle 7, Fisher 7, Sorensen 6, Marcondes 8, Slimane 6, Forson 6, Crnac 5, Sainz 7. Subs: Gibbs 6, Hernandez 6, Schwartau 4, Gordon 4

MATCH STATISTICS

Possession: 50pc-50pc

Shots: 22-11

On target: 6-5

Corners: 11-2

Fouls: 4-12

Added time: 2 minutes / 5 minutes

Attendance: 25,673 (2,512 away)

Referee: Lewis Smith