David Cuffley Man of the match Wes Hoolahan rued the two home points that got away as Norwich City missed the chance to move out of the bottom three in the Championship.

David Cuffley

Man of the match Wes Hoolahan rued the two home points that got away as Norwich City missed the chance to move out of the bottom three in the Championship.

But the Irishman still believes the Canaries may eventually look back on their 1-1 draw with Burnley as a valuable point - as long as they secure victory over Coventry at Carrow Road next Saturday.

After strugglers Nottingham Forest were beaten at home by Derby in Saturday's early kick-off, Bryan Gunn's team could have escaped the relegation places by beating the Clarets.

They gave themselves a head start when striker Jamie Cureton scored after 20 minutes - a goal Hoolahan helped create - but failed to cash in on their advantage and were pegged back by Steven Thompson's equaliser nine minutes before the break.

Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen denied Carl Cort, Jon Otsemobor and Jason Shackell to extend City's run without a victory to six matches under their new boss.

“It was two points dropped, I think,” said Hoolahan. “We got a great goal by Curo and had a great spell for five minutes and could have put two or three in and that would have ended the game.

“We had the better of the chances. Corty had a great header, the 'keeper made a great save and Shacks had a chance at the end and I think we were a bit unlucky.

“But at 1-0 you're always thinking they could go down the other end and score, which they did. It's a shame, but we reacted well after that goal and came back into it and we should have gone in front in the second half.”

Hoolahan said it could still prove a valuable point, but with 12 games to go, City need victories.

“We've been playing well since Gunny's been in charge and we've been unlucky here and unlucky there, but we've got to start winning games now,” he said. “We need to win next week and then this will be a good point.”

Hoolahan was pleased with City's goal after his splendid pass set up skipper Mark Fotheringham for the decisive cross to Cureton.

“It was a good move. I played it down the channel to Fozzy and Fozzy played it back to Curo, it was a great finish. He's a nippy little player who gets in great positions,” he said.

Hoolahan had a near-relegation experience with Blackpool last season. After winning at Norwich on March 1 - when his performance helped earn him a summer move to Carrow Road - the Seasiders won just one of their last 11 games and scraped up by just two points. Now he hopes the dog-eat-dog nature of the Championship will work in City's favour.

“I think at Blackpool we were comfortable until the last few games and then we got dragged into it,” he recalled. “Clubs will get dragged into it again so we aim to get out and at the same time bring other teams into it.”