Norwich City hosted Cardiff City in their Premier League match at Carrow Road as both teams looked to bounce back from defeats.
Despite having the majority of the possession and 31 strikes on goal, Norwich could not make the breakthrough and it ended goalless, with goalkeeper David Marshall in inspired form for the visitors.
The game ended in controversial circumstances when Leroy Fer thought he had scored a late winner but the goal was ruled out.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Good afternoon! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for live text commentary of this afternoon’s Premier League clash between Norwich City and Cardiff City.
It may be a little early to be talking about relegation, but both managers will be looking at taking three points from today’s game.
A single point separates these two sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Cardiff are 17th in the table and have eight points from their opening eight fixtures, just one place above Norwich.
It was a weekend to forget for Norwich in their last previous Premier League match as they were beaten 4-1 by top of the table Arsenal at the Emirates.
NORWICH XI: Ruddy, Martin, Turner, Bassong, Olsson, Tettey, Fer, Howson, Snodgrass, Pilkington, Hooper
CARDIFF XI: Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Campbell, Odemwingie, Kim, Mutch, Theophile-Catherine
NORWICH SUBS: Nash, Whittaker, Johnson, van Wolfswinkel, Elmander, Redmond, Bennett
CARDIFF SUBS: Lewis, Hudson, Gunnarsson, Cowie, Mason, Maynard, Bellamy
Gary Hooper leads the line today for the home side, with Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Johan Elmander both only fit enough for the bench. The visitors will be hoping that Peter Odemwingie can fire to them to an away win, with the Nigerian striker starting up front.
Cardiff will be looking to bounce back with a win after they suffered a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
This is the first time that these two teams have met in the Premier League. They last played each other in a Championship match in January 2011, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw.
Overall they have played each other 44 times, with Norwich winning 24 of those matches, Cardiff winning 13 and seven ending in draws.
Cardiff and Norwich have both conceded 13 goals this season, that’s an average of 1.63 goals shipped per game.
Welcome to Carrow Road! #NORCAR pic.twitter.com/M1g9llSzC3
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) October 26, 2013
As well as the same defensive record, both teams have scored six goals in the league this season, with the top scorers of each club, Dwight Gayle and Jonny Howson, scoring twice each.
UPDATE: Arsenal have beaten Crystal Palace 2-0 in this afternoon's early Premier League match. Mikel Arteta scored a penalty early in the second half before being sent off for a straight red card. Olivier Giroud wrapped up the points with a header two minutes from time to send the Gunners five points clear at the top of the league.
We know that both teams have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net and Norwich are yet to score in the first 15 minutes of a Premier League match this season.
If the Canaries do manage to score early on then Cardiff will be confident of turning the game around having claimed four points from losing positions, second only to Aston Villa who have recovered six points after falling behind.
PREDICTION: With so much to play for today, I expect that this will be a close fought game and winning the midfield battle will be crucial to the outcome. The two sides have poor defensive records but it remains to be seen whether their attacking players can take advantage. I am going to go for a 1-1 draw.
REFEREE: Michael Jones will be officiating today's game.
There are just five minutes left until kick off here at Carrow Road and players are lined up in the tunnel.
Cardiff are going to kick off today's match.
KICKOFF! We are underway at Carrow Road!
Cardiff are seeing a lot of the ball in the early stages of the game without venturing too far into their opponents half.
Taylor was down on the floor for Cardiff but Norwich refused to put the ball out of play, luckily for the visitors their attack came to nothing.
Norwich win a corner on the left and Snodgrass plays it short to Olsson who fires a shot over from range.
Cardiff nearly have a chance of their own immediately up the other end but Odemwingie's scuffed effort comes to nothing.
Norwich have started to take control of this game and have won a corner on the right that Snodgrass can whip in with his left foot.
After a couple of dangerous crosses are cleared by Cardiff, Snodgrass gets to the byline but his ball in is held by the keeper.
Almost a chance for Gary Hooper as he gets a sight of goal but his shot is well blocked by the defence.
Cardiff have a free kick from a dangerous position wide on the right after a clumsy challenge from Fer.
Whittingham stepped up to take the set piece but his cross was cleared by the first man, Cardiff will need to do better than that from such promising situations.
Ruddy nearly gets himself into a mess as he spills a long ball that Campbell failed to make contact with. The Norwich defence managed to clear the ball for a corner, which Caulker then headed wide.
Hooper has looked lively in these opening stages and a ball over the top narrowly runs away from him. The striker has seen a lot of space in behind the Cardiff backline and will be hoping to exploit that.
Norwich have settled into this game but the away team are looking very cautious and have played a number of aimless balls forward.
Some neat play down the right by the home side with Martin playing a ball down the line for Howson, but he is unable to cross it into the middle.
CHANCE! Brilliant move down the left hand side from Norwich with Fer slipping in Olsson, whose shot from the angle is palmed away by Marshall. The rebound falls to Snodgrass who gets his shot all wrong and fires wide.
Norwich have a chance to get a ball into the middle from a free kick after a clumsy challenge by Odemwingie.
Snodgrass takes the free kick but the ball fails to beat the first man, with Bassong also being flagged for an offside.
SAVE! What a save this is! Campbell gets free down the right and delivers the ball into the middle to Mutch. From just a couple of yards out, the Cardiff man gets his shot on target, but Ruddy somehow manages to push it over.
Fer is dominating the midfield here for the home side. He bursts through the middle before slipping in Hooper, but Caulker gets in a challenge before he has a chance to shoot.
SAVE! Howson latches onto a loose ball from a Norwich corner and fires in a low shot that looks destined for the bottom corner, but Marshall manages to get fingertips to the ball and push it wide.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner, there is a chance for Fer who fires in a shot but Whittingham manages to clear it off the line.
Norwich are on top here and are looking to take full advantage, with Pilkington having a strike from long range that he curls narrowly over the bar.
More good play down the Norwich right side and Martin wins them another corner.
CHANCE! From the corner Fer sees his header cleared off the line but it would not have counted if it went in as a foul is given for a push on Caulker.
CHANCE! Gary Hooper hits a snap shot from 25 yards out and Marshall reacts well to push his effort away.
Hooper has looked really dangerous whenever he's seen the ball today and looks the man most likely to open the scoring.
CHANCE! Kim is the next player today to have an effort from range and he sees his low drive saved by Ruddy.
Pilkington again picks up the ball in the middle and fancies his chances from a long way out, but his strike lacks any power to trouble Marshall.
CHANCE! The Cardiff defence are allowing Norwich to have a number of chances to shoot without putting any pressure on them. This time Howson hits a bending effort that the keeper puts out for a corner.
CHANCE! Norwich are finishing the half really strongly here. Snodgrass weaves his way into the box and his ball into the middle deflects onto the post. From the rebound the ball is kicked against Hooper and luckily for the keeper, falls straight into his hands.
We are going to have one minute of stoppage time at the end of the half.
HALF-TIME: Norwich City 0-0 Cardiff City
It's half time here at Carrow Road and it is goalless between Norwich and Cardiff. The home side will feel that they should be in the lead having dominated most of the match, but Mutch missed the best chance of the game for the Welsh side, when Ruddy denied him brilliantly from point-blank range.
UPDATE: There are some intriguing scorelines across the country in the other Premier League matches today. Manchester United are currently 2-1 down at Old Trafford against Stoke City. Liverpool are leading West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at Anfield as they look to close the gap on the league leaders Arsenal. The other fixture being played today between Aston Villa and Everton is currently goalless.
A look at the half time stats now and it's no surprise to see Norwich dominating the possession, with the hosts seeing 63% of the ball.
They are also dominating the attacking statistics with 13 shots on goal to Cardiff's three efforts and have had eight corners compared to the visitors two.
PHOTO: John Ruddy's fantastic, point-blank save on Jordan Mutch from earlier in the first half. #NCFC pic.twitter.com/qisN4L3AYR — Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 26, 2013
The teams are making their way back out onto the pitch and it looks like Cardiff are going to make a substitution at the start of the half with Don Cowie getting himself ready.
SUBSTITUTION: Cowie does indeed come on and replaces Odemwingie. Gunnarsson is also on for Cardiff replacing Kim.
Norwich kick off and get the second half started.
We are yet to see any concise attacking play from either side as they both look to settle into the game after the break.
Campbell nearly latches onto the end of a long ball from Mutch but he is forced wide by Bassong. Good defending from the Cameroon international.
There will probably be no changes to the possession stats at the end of the game, with the Canaries keeping hold of the ball as they did in the first half.
Norwich think that they should have a penalty after Hoooper's shot is blocked by Caulker but it would have been harsh from the referee to give that. It hit his hand after he had blocked the shot and the defender wasn't even looking at the ball.
CHANCE! So close for Hooper! The striker gets his head to a Snodgrass corner and narrowly loops his effort over the bar.
YELLOW CARD! Tettey is booked for a late challenge on Campbell.
The game has become a little scrappy in the past few minutes with neither side able to string a number of passes together.
Promising situation for Cardiff here, as they win a free kick just outside the box for a foul by Fer on Mutch.
Cardiff will be disappointed by that as Whittingham hits the set piece straight against the wall.
CHANCE! Huge chance for Norwich! Pilkington is inches away from getting on the end of a cross by Hooper. Marshall managed to get a vital touch to the ball that diverted it away from the midfielder.
Medel bursts forward from the back and sees a chance to shoot from range but his strike is easily held by Ruddy.
Norwich win another free kick in a great shooting position outside the box after a foul on Snodgrass.
The home side attempt a training ground set piece routine but it fails and Cardiff get the ball clear.
SUBSTITUTION: Cardiff make a change with Bellamy coming on for Medel.
SUBSTITUTION: There is a double change here for Norwich with Elmander and Redmond replacing Hooper and Pilkington.
CHANCE! Redmond almost makes an immediate impact as his fierce strike from a tight angle is parried for a corner by Marshall.
After Cardiff clear the set piece, Norwich manage to get the ball back into the middle, with Fer heading an effort narrowly wide.
Norwich are starting to pile on the pressure here and substitute Elmander does well to win his side a corner.
CHANCE! The corner is cleared to the edge of the box to Redmond, who strikes the ball over the bar on the half volley.
CHANCE! Redmond has another chance for the home side as he hits a dipping strike that the keeper has to put out for a corner.
Snodgrass whips in the corner but Bassong can't get clean contact on the ball and heads it wide.
Redmond has looked lively since coming on and he has won his side another corner after a weaving run down the right.
The corner comes to nothing yet again as Fer is penalized for a foul.
In the past few minutes, Cardiff have been pushing forward more, maybe sensing that they could snatch something late on here.
SUBSTITUTION: Norwich make their final change of the afternoon bringing on Van Wolfswinkel for Howson.
The home side win a set piece just inside the opponent's half after a foul by Turner and they have plenty of men inside the box for this.
Snodgrass takes the free kick but Cardiff clear it once again. They haven't taken advantage of some of some really promising set piece opportunities today.
We are going to have four minutes of added on time.
CHANCE! The home side thought they had won it there. Redmond whips a great ball into the middle that Elamander gets his head to, but Marshall keeps it out and may well have earned his team a point.
Martin knocks a long ball into the box that Elmander wins, but no one can latch onto it and it goes harmlessly through to the keeper.
We have a hugely controversial moment here. The ball is played out so Tetty can get treatment. Fer then recieves the ball from the throw in and passes the ball back towards Marshall, but he plays it beyond him and it ends up in the back off the net. It looks as though the goal has been given but the referee orders the throw to be retaken.
FULL-TIME: Norwich City 0-0 Cardiff City
Well what an ending that was to the game! It would have been a hugely debatable goal had Fer's attempt been allowed to stand and I have to say that referee has made a great decision to disallow it.
The Cardiff players had surrounded Fer after that and were livid as it looked as if they had lost the game, but they can now reflect on a well-earned away point.
Norwich had 31 shots on goal today and will be disappointed not to have claimed all three points. It will be interesting to hear what their manager has to say about that goal.
Well, thank you for joining us here at Sports Mole for today's match. We have plenty of live action for you this evening with Southampton taking on Fulham in the Premier League and Barcelona facing Real Madrid in El Clasico, but from me, it's goodbye.
