Premier League: Wolverhampton 2 Norwich City 2

Wolverhampton and Norwich City played out a pulsating 2-2 draw on Tuesday, with the home side having a late goal ruled out.

Former Wolves midfielder Andrew Surman opened the scoring in the English Premier League encounter with a 12th-minute header, before Sylvan Ebanks-Blake levelled matters with a scrappy effort.

The storyline repeated in the second half as substitute Simeon Jackson bundled home only for Wolves to again equalise, through a header from the unmarked Ronald Zubar from a set-piece.

A late strike from Steven Fletcher was ruled out as offside to move Wolves two points away from the relegation zone.

Norwich were unable to end a 16-year wait for a victory at Molineux, but remain ninth on the Premier League table.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy reiterated his faith before the game in misfiring striker Kevin Doyle, but it was not reflected on the teamsheet.

In the only change from the 2-1 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday, the Irishman was replaced by Ebanks-Blake.

Norwich counterpart Paul Lambert stuck with the same side that claimed a 1-1 draw against Everton at the weekend, with the Scot continue with the battering-ram centre-forward pairing of Grant Holt and Steve Morison.

The hosts were denied a fifth-minute breakthrough by the heroics of Norwich stalwart Russell Martin. The Scot produced a magnificent block to deny Ebanks-Blake from point-blank range after the Wolves striker had been allowed to chest down a Stephen Hunt cross by the Norwich defence.

Woken by the jolt from the near-miss, Norwich began to get their foot on the ball.

Urged on by manager Lambert’s enthusiasm on the touchline, an incisive move saw ex-Wolves bit-part player Surman net against his former side. In typical Norwich style, a deft chipped through ball on the half-way line cut through the static Wolves defence and put Wes Hoolahan in space on the left.

The Irishman produced a perfect cross that was nodded home by Surman, after he had left static marker Nenad Milijas in his wake.

In a hectic few minutes, both sides then could have found the back of the net. Hunt blazed over an open goal from six-yards in the 24th minute after Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy punched an Ebanks-Blake cross into his path, while Morison headed straight at Hennessey when picked out by a deep cross from left-back Marc Tierney.

Norwich continued to look the better side, but the dangerous Ebanks-Blake levelled matters in the 37th minute. In a move reminiscent of the smart wing play that led to Norwich’s opener, a perfectly weighted pass by winger Matt Jarvis put charging left-back Stephen Ward into space on the left flank.

His low cross on the slide found Hunt and, after the Irishman’s shot deflected off Martin, the grateful centre forward picked up the pieces to scuff past the marooned Ruddy.

The match continued in the same helter-skelter nature in the second period. Almost from kick-off, Fletcher curled an effort from just outside the box wide of Ruddy’s net.

Wolves’ top-scorer Fletcher had seemed happy to let Ebanks-Blake take centre stage before the interval. However, he again went close with an effort from distance that whizzed just over Ruddy’s crossbar in the 67th minute.

The momentum again swung Norwich’s way and a comical first touch from substitute Jackson saw them take the lead. Once more, Morison’s selfless runs into the flanks brought reward as his cross found the Canadian in acres of space at the back post.

The replacement seemed to try his best to mess up his opportunity from two yards, but he managed to force home the easiest of chances home.

But just as in the opening 45 minutes, Norwich’s lead was not to last.

Zubar was the man to raise Molineux to its feet in the 82nd minute, taking advantage of some absent-minded marking from a Milijas corner to level affairs.

Another corner three minutes later created similar havoc, but this time captain Roger Johnson headed narrowly wide of Ruddy’s right post.

A tight offside call on 90 minutes saw a goal correctly denied for Wolves after Fletcher had strayed centimetres behind the Norwich back line to convert Hunt’s cross.