The search for a home win goes on for Norwich City, as mid-table rivals Barnsley deservedly held the Canaries to a 1-1 draw – to extend the hosts’ winless run at Carrow Road to six matches.

Having taken an early lead thanks to a deflected Josh Murphy strike, the winger’s seventh of the season in all competitions, City disappeared back into their shell and were denied by a Harvey Barnes strike early in the second half.

It is the first time a Canaries team have gone six home league matches without a win in the second tier in almost 20 years, since the latter stages of Bruce Rioch’s reign in 1998-99.

Canaries boss Daniel Farke made five changes to his starting XI from the 2-1 loss at Bolton before the break, switching to a 4-1-4-1 formation and bringing the fit-again Nelson Oliveira straight back in as the lone striker.

Grant Hanley, James Husband, Mario Vrancic and Murphy were the other players coming in, with Christoph Zimmermann, Harrison Reed, Wes Hoolahan, Yanic Wildschut and Cameron Jerome dropping to the bench.

The hosts took the lead in the 12th minute after good hold-up play from Oliveira in the right corner before whipping a low cross towards the box, which Murphy struck first time on the edge of the area and fortunately saw the ball cannon into the net off the chest of Angus MacDonald.

Oliveira fired a few wild efforts wide but went close from the edge of the box in the 25th minute as a scrappy encounter saw both teams making little of decent attacking positions.

James Maddison threaded Murphy clean through three minutes later though, only for keeper Adam Davies to just win the foot race and start a rapid counter which finished in Angus Gunn superbly tipping over a 25-yard shot from Adam Hammill.

City’s keeper was again called into action in the 34th minute after a sloppy Husband pulled down Hammill after his clearance was charged down – the left-back earning his fifth booking of the season to activate a one-game ban – with Gunn doing well to claim a whipped cross from Zeki Fryers from the cross.

Tykes dangerman Barnes, on loan from Leicester, lashed a shot across the face of goal in the 39th minute and soon after the commanding Hanley made the latest of several interceptions after Andy Yiadom eased past Murphy on the right.

Husband was taken off at the break as Farke brought on Zimmermann and switched to three at the back but the change didn’t work out, with Barnsley equalising within minutes.

The Tykes quickly countered and Barnes was found unmarked at the back post to lash a low shot past the exposed Gunn from 10 yards in the 47th minute before celebrating in front of the travelling fans.

Barnsley skipper MacDonald made a heroic block from an Oliveira shot to the left of the six-yard box soon after, having been played in by Stiepermann.

MacDonald was replaced by Jason McCarthy soon after and the substitute was the next to deny Oliveira, his vital header in the 65th minute preventing the Portuguese striker heading home a Stiepermann cross from close range.

It was the visitors largely dominating open play but struggling with their final ball, other than Yiadom stinging the gloves of Gunn, as City looked disjointed.

Desperate blocks from Zimmermann and Wildschut prevented Brad Potts and Fryers respectively from getting in shots, as the Tykes pressed forward without over-committing.

Watkins just failed to commit with an Oliveira cross from the right in injury-time but there was little in the way of a sustained attack from City as Barnsley held on for a fully-deserved draw.

Norwich: Gunn; Pinto (C), Hanley, Klose, Husband (Zimmermann 46); Trybull (Wildschut 80); Vrancic, Maddison, Stiepermann, Murphy (Watkins 75); Oliveira. Unused subs: McGovern (GK), Reed, Jerome, Hoolahan.

Booked: Husband (foul on Hammill, 34)

Goals: Murphy (12)

Barnsley: Davies; Yiadom, MacDonald (C – McCarthy 57), Lindsay, Fryers; Williams; Hammill (Hedges 67), Moncur, Potts, Barnes; Bradshaw. Unused subs: Walton (GK), McGeehan, Gardner, Ugbo, Thiam

Booked: Yiadom (foul on Husband, 44), Williams, foul on Maddison 87)

Goals: Barnes (47)

Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland)

Attendance: 25,545

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