Goalscorer David Fox admitted Norwich City’s draw at Millwall felt like a defeat after they had two points snatched away in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Fox’s superb goal in the 75th minute – his first for the club since a summer move from Colchester – looked set to give the Canaries their fourth away win of the season until 18-year-old John Marquis bundled the ball home from a corner.

It was a reversal of fortunes for Paul Lambert’s team, who had salvaged a point against Burnley at Carrow Road three days earlier when Andrew Crofts scored in injury time.

Fox, given only his third league start of the season in the absence of the suspended Crofts, said: “We were on the receiving end tonight and it’s a bitter pill to swallow. We’re gutted, really. It feels like a defeat just like Saturday felt like a win.

“Coming here, it’s a difficult game but when you’re 1-0 up in stoppage time you expect to get three points and we’ve let ourselves down massively there. It would have been a big three points.”

City moved up two places to fifth in the Championship table but the mood at the final whistle at The Den was all in marked contrast to the post-Burnley celebrations.

“The feeling is definitely so different,” said Fox. “Someone just said if we had taken away the two last-minute goals we would have got beaten on Saturday but won here and would have been a point better off. When you look at it like that, it’s very disappointing.

“But we’ve seen both sides of it now and we’ve got to learn from it, see out the game better and be more professional. We had the ball in the corner with 30 seconds to go and somehow they’ve managed to get a goal, which is very disappointing.”

The 26-year-old Fox rated City’s performance one of their best of the campaign so far.

“We’re down to the bare bones and everyone has come in and done well,” he said. “It was a very solid performance for 93 minutes and we just let ourselves down for that crucial minute.

“When you look at our midfield we had myself, Korey, Wes and Macca. It’s hardly the most intimidating midfield so we had to stand up for ourselves. They’re a big, powerful team but I thought we did brilliantly. The two centre-halves were brilliant again and it looked like we’d done enough to win the game.”

As for his goal, a powerful rising drive following a long throw by substitute Matthew Gill, Fox admitted: “It was very sweet. It could have gone absolutely anywhere, I was stretching for it and they could end up in Row Z or like it did, it went in. I was delighted and just gutted it wasn’t a winning goal.”

Fox said he and Gill both wanted to grab their chance of some first team action.

“I knew he had a long throw and it was important that he came on and made an impact. That’s what you have to do when you sit out for a while. When you do get on you’ve got to make an impression and that’s what he did and with my goal, that’s what I’ve done.

“I said before the game that when you get these opportunities you have to take them and I think you have to go into it thinking it’s the most important game of your life and that’s what I’ve done.”

City go to Reading for a televised game on Saturday with Crofts available again – and Fox must wait to see if he keeps his place.

“Whether or not I stay in the team I don’t know, but if I don’t at least I know I have given it everything and put in a shift for the boys and I’ll have to wait for my next chance,” he said.

Manager Lambert praised Fox and his splendid finish, saying: “He is technically brilliant. If you ask any of the lads at the club they will tell you that technically he is one of the best lads there. He’s been playing really well of late and his goal was very, very good.”