Terrier on the Terraces: Town can take positives from Norwich agony

The obvious example that springs to mind is Tim Robinson’s spectacularly awful display when Town met Charlton in August - wrongly disallowing a goal, wrongly sending a player off, and managing to miss one of the most blatant penalties you’ll see anywhere in the country this season before Charlton scored a last-minute equaliser.

Nigel Miller’s ‘performance’ on Tuesday night matched it.

You can’t deny that Town should have held on after James Vaughan netted with four seconds of injury time left to play, but it has to be remembered that Miller then found another two minutes out of nowhere and prevented Town from making a substitution when the ball twice went out of play. Small wonder that he was abused by three sides of the ground.

Town’s performance was much-improved from the Rotherham debacle.

On occasion the quality was lacking, but the heart and desire and commitment was in evidence from the start.

Norwich, for a side so full of attacking quality, were stifled by Town’s energy. The midfield trio, anonymous against Rotherham, set about their opponents and showed the fighting spirit Town fans demand as a minimum.

Norwich had been limited to three clear chances - one bundled in by Bradley Johnson’s hand which, eventually, the officials ruled out; one which £5m striker Gary Hooper managed to miss when six yards out and with an open goal; one which was converted by Wesley Hoolahan after indecisive Town defending down the left - and Town had created more.

Of the two goalkeepers, England man John Ruddy had been busier despite Norwich’s domination of possession.

The last-gasp equaliser was a real sickener, especially in those circumstances.

Where the extra time came from is a mystery. But it should not be allowed to take away from the positive performance of the Terriers, who are now without James Vaughan against Fulham as a result of picking up a second yellow card under the ridiculous rule about not taking your shirt off in celebration.