Boro blows two-goal lead in wild draw at Norwich
Middlesbrough let a two-goal lead slip in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Norwich City, but Boro manager Michael Carrick said he was happy with the result.
Borja Sainz had given the Canaries a ninth-minute lead with a spectacular curling strike from distance before Tommy Conway's brace and Finn Azaz's close-range effort had Boro in the ascendency at the interval.
Conway then saw his penalty saved by George Long after Jose Cordoba fouled Riley McGree, with that moment proving pivotal in the outcome of the contest.
Sainz doubled his tally two minutes after Boro's spot-kick with another stunning effort that flew in off the underside of the crossbar, before an own-goal by Seny Dieng drew Norwich level.
The Canaries finished the game with a man less after captain Kenny McLean was shown a straight red card late on, but Middlesbrough was unable to find a winner.
Despite letting a two-goal lead slip at Carrow Road, Carrick was pleased with his players' efforts in a game he felt his side edged.
"I thought we were fantastic for the most part, we showed what a good team we are and played some really good football," Carrick said.
"We conceded three goals, the third wasn't nice at all but the other two, he put them in the top corner from distance and if they’re going to score like that from there, there's only so much you can do [to stop it].
"I thought we were pretty much the better team throughout, [although] the momentum swung a little bit towards the end.
"That’s two games against really good, top opposition in this league and we’ve been the better team in both games.
"Today was a test in terms of going a goal down but the confidence we showed and togetherness to get through that was top-class."
For Norwich, meanwhile, the draw ensured it maintained an 11-month unbeaten home record.
A win would have put it fifth on the table, but it remains eighth on the same number of points as ninth-placed Boro, both teams still one point adrift of the top six.
"When a game is that hectic, with so many situations in it, then it's hard work for me from minute one to minute 90," Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup said.
"We had to be very specific at half-time about what was important for us [to do], very specific with in-game communication to the players because there were so many details to put focus on.
"The moments we have when we are calm on the ball, especially in their half, the spaces we highlighted before the game opened up and we created chances, or at least got into some dangerous positions."
