Norwich City 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

A point from Carrow Road may only be one small step for a Wolverhampton Wanderers side aiming to regain the sort of form which lifted them to third in the Championship table at the start of December.

But in the manner of the performance in shading proceedings at an in-form Norwich City, manager Mick McCarthy can be forgiven for hoping it will act as the prelude for some giant strides in the New Year.

The fact McCarthy departed East Anglia bemoaning the fact Wolves hadn't taken all three points was an indication in itself of how they edged matters against a Norwich side revitalised under Glenn Roeder.

Yet amid that disappointment, there was at least the knowledge that this was more like the Wolves of old, and more like a performance suggesting McCarthy's men can welcome in 2008 with renewed confidence of another play-off push on the horizon.

Andy Keogh's 52nd minute header, his first goal in 17 Wolves appearances and the team's first on their travels for an incredible 608 minutes, raised the spectre of a crucial away day success after five games without a win.

But Jamie Cureton's 75th minute leveller certainly threw a painful spanner in the works, leaving McCarthy with mixed feelings as to his side's afternoon's enterprise. "Delighted with the performance but disappointed with the point," was the summary. "We had more than enough chances to have won the game before they equalised, but we haven't scored enough goals this season and this was a case in point.

"At the same time I was disappointed with the goal we conceded because it was just a ball through the middle and a flick and normally we're tight as a drum.

"But what we did do was work hard and show endeavour and commitment - all the things necessary on a football pitch. We need to emulate that against Sheffield United and hopefully can move on from here."

McCarthy made three changes to the side which had surrendered so meekly on the previous long haul at Hull on Boxing Day, Rob Edwards, Matt Jarvis and Freddy Eastwood all demoted to the bench.

That prompted recalls for Michael Gray, Stephen Ward and Darron Gibson, the latter operating impressively in central midfield with Karl Henry moved to the right to shackle Darren Huckerby.

The gameplan proved effective, not least as Wolves' success at stifling the Canaries was mirrored by their own renewed sense of purpose going forward.

Stephen Ward went close with headers twice in the first half and Neill Collins saw a fine half volley beaten away by David Marshall as Wolves restricted their hosts to off-target efforts from Huckerby and Jimmy Smith.

And even after Keogh's welcome individual and collective breakthrough, ending the away day drought by heading home Michael Gray's cross, it was Wolves who built on their ascendancy with the impressive Jay Bothroyd firing straight at Marshall and Stephen Ward agonisingly wide after a marauding run.

But any hopes that Wolves would find Roeder's Norwich as tame as the model which were despatched so effortlessly back at Molineux were unfounded, as sparked by substitutes Lee Croft and Dion Dublin the home side rallied.

Wayne Hennessey made one superb point-blank save to deny Dublin, but will feel he could have done a little more as Cureton latched on to the striker's flick to equalise via both the keeper and the inside of the post 15 minutes from time.

Cureton was then inches wide soon afterwards, and Bothroyd was denied by Gary Doherty after a blistering injury time burst, but Wolves will be left hoping it was an afternoon when the returning promise proves equally as important as the point.

Fifth bookings of the season for Karl Henry and Seyi Olofinjana mean both will miss Saturday's FA Cup tie with Cambridge.

Scorers: Keogh (52) 0-1; Cureton (75) 1-1.
NORWICH CITY (4-4-2): Marshall; Otsemobor, Shackell, Doherty, Camara; Smith (Croft 50), Russell, Pattison, Huckerby (Brown 84); Evans (Dublin 56), Cureton. Subs: Arnold (gk), Spillane.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (4-4-2): Hennessey; Foley, D. Ward, N. Collins, Gray (Edwards 87); Henry, Gibson, Olofinjana, S. Ward; Keogh (Elliott 72), Bothroyd. Subs: Ikeme (gk), Jarvis, Eastwood.
Referee: Lee Probert (Gloucestershire).
Bookings: Norwich - Camara, Shackell, Pattison (fouls); Wolves - Olofinjana, Gibson, Henry, S. Ward (fouls). Attendance: 24, 324.