Report | Norwich City 2 Swansea City 2

Goals from Jamie Paterson and Matt Grimes saw Swansea City continue their strong end to the season with a draw at play-off hopefuls Norwich City.

The Swans had taken the lead at Carrow Road courtesy of an emphatic finish from Paterson at the end of a crisp flowing attack.

Norwich responded with a brilliant goal from Gabriel Sara before Josh Sargent headed the hosts ahead in first-half stoppage time.

But the visitors hit back as Grimes scored from the spot on his 300th appearance for the Swans.

The display saw Luke Williams’ squad heed the head coach’s desire for them to embrace the challenge of going into a hostile environment against a Norwich side chasing a play-off place and be brave enough to go toe to toe.

And it extended their unbeaten run to four games.

The Swans had been unchanged for the fourth game in a row, as Williams kept faith with the side that had secured victories over Stoke City, Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town, as skipper Grimes brought up another milestone.

Roared on by a raucous home crowd, the Canaries had the first big chance inside three minutes.

Christian Fassnacht got into space down the right then delivered for Borja Sainz, whose powerful shot was superbly blocked by Ben Cabango.

Swansea responded with an excellent attack which saw Ronald send Josh Key into space, who in turn picked out Liam Cullen.

The striker brought the ball down, but his effort was smothered by Angus Gunn. Cullen then glanced a header wide from a wonderful Paterson delivery.

It was proving an entertaining contest, and Cabango made another vital intervention as Fassnacht looked to pick out Sargent in the area.

Fassnacht was involved again as he tried to turn in a low cross from Sara, but Josh Tymon cleared the danger for the visitors.

Paterson had a strike deflected wide, while Sargent was well off target at the other end a few moments later.

But it was the Swans who broke the deadlock, and it was Paterson who found the net after a lovely, flowing attack.

Grimes, Ollie Cooper and Cullen were involved and fed the ball wide to the winger, who jinked infield before pulling wide again to fire an unstoppable rising strike past Gunn at the near post.

Norwich looked for an immediate reply, and Rushworth denied Sargent after Marcelino Nunez had picked his way into the box.

But there was nothing the Swansea keeper could do about the equaliser as Sara picked up the ball 25 yards out and rifled a superb strike into the net off the underside of the bar.

Key swept the play up the other end from the restart, with Gunn having to be alert to cut out a fine low cross with Cullen waiting.

The scores were level, but there was a case that the numbers on the field should not have also been even after a poor Jack Stacey challenge on Tymon, where the Norwich player went over the ball and trod on the full-back’s ankle.

And insult was added to injury when Sargent climbed at the far post in first-half stoppage time to head a superb Sara delivery across Rushworth and into the far corner.

The Canaries came out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half too, Sainz picked out Sargent, who saw his strike from 12 yards blocked by Cabango.

Fassnacht headed another Sainz delivery wide a few moments later., but Swansea lifted the pressure to win a penalty as Cullen saw a shot blocked and Ronald was brought down by Gunn as he retrieved the loose ball.

Grimes assumed the responsibility from the spot and sent Gunn the wrong way to level.

The Norwich keeper then stretched to haul in a looping Cullen header from a Grimes cross as the back-and-forth nature of the game continued into the final half-hour.

Gunn just about got an awkward low strike from Ronald around the post and away for a corner, while Sara saw another wonderful strike blocked.

Harry Darling headed agonisingly wide from a Grimes delivery with the keeper beaten, but that proved the defender’s last involvement as he was forced off by injury with Nathan Wood replacing him.

Substitute Jamal Lowe saw his low shot take a deflection and just bobble wide of the post with Norwich committing numbers forward in search of a goal to boost their play-off aspirations. 

The forward made a vital goal-line clearance to keep out Shane Duffy’s header at the other end, before Jay Fulton was unable to turn in a loose ball after another Lowe effort was saved as a lively contest ended all-square.

Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Josh Key, Jay Fulton, Ben Cabango, Harry Darling (Nathan Wood 76), Matt Grimes (captain), Jamie Paterson (Jamal Lowe 68), Josh Tymon, Liam Cullen (Jerry Yates 68), Ollie Cooper (Liam Walsh 82), Ronald.

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Charlie Patino, Mykola Kuharevich, Bashir Humphreys, Azeem Abdulai.

Norwich City: Angus Gunn, Jack Stacey, Ben Gibson, Borja Sainz (Ashley Barnes 68) (Jacob Sorensen 82), Josh Sargent, Sam McCallum (Sydney van Hooijdonk 94), Christian Fassnacht (Jonathan Rowe 68), Gabriel Sara, Kenny McLean (captain), Shane Duffy, Marcelino Nunez.

Unused Substitutes: George Long, Grant Hanley, Danny Batth, Kellen Fisher, Guilherme Montoya.

Referee: James Linington

Attendance: 26,429 (527 away)