Norwich City 0 West Ham 0

Last updated : 15 September 2012 By Mark Burchett

Norwich City missed out on a glorious chance to get their first win of the new Premiership campaign against West Ham at Carrow Road. The newly promoted Championship side retained the ball well which made for an open entertaining game, but offered little in the way of a threat up-front.

The Hammers also had to survive a late onslaught from the Canaries to hang on for a point.

Despite being withdrawn midweek from the Scotland squad, Russell Martin was declared fit to take up his usual right-back berth. Andrew Surman also started, in place of the injured Anthony Pilkington (Groin). But for Sam Allardyce, he was missing the on-loan Andy Carroll (Hamstring) playing Carlton Cole up front on his own.

Neither he or the Canaries Player of the Season last year Grant Holt were able to provide a cutting edge for their side. City didn't reach the same standards they had set in the previous two games, notably in the last at Tottenham Hotspurs, but probably just edged the first half.

Hammer's defender James Collins must have been relieved when referee Chris Foy adjudged that he'd brought down Surman just outside rather than inside the penalty area. Disappointingly for the home side the resulting freekick rebounded off the only City player in the wall.

HALF-TIME: City 0 West Ham 0

The second half was, not surprisingly more disjointed with both sides making substitutions in their search for the illusive goal, as just one goal would have been enough to have won the game.

Hughton made his second change bringing the young striker on-loan from Spurs, Harry Kane on for Holt, so with 20 minutes left the Canaries had a new-look strike force with the teenager partnering substitute Steve Morison.

Kane was offered the chance to be an instant hero to score on his City debut in a late counter-attack by the energetic Snodgrass, but the Spurs trainee could only put his shot straight at the Hammers keeper. There was still time for Kane to return the favour for Snodgrass, whose shot was blocked and then a Morison header went straight to Jaaskelainen.

In recording their third consecutive draw and first clean sheet this season, although it's only the second in the last 18 games, City demonstrated that they are becoming much harder to beat.

FULL-TIME: City 0 West Ham 0