Substitute Arturu Lupoli poached a late brace to secure Norwich City a 2-2 draw at Cardiff City.
Italian's brace earns point after McCormack double
Substitute Arturu Lupoli poached a late brace to secure Norwich City a 2-2 draw at Cardiff City.
Dave Jones' Cardiff appeared to be cruising towards the three points after Ross McCormack followed up his early opener by converting a second-half penalty.
But Italian striker Lupoli pulled one back within four minutes of being introduced and then grabbed an equaliser with nine minutes remaining.
Midfielder Darel Russell - Norwich's sole goalscorer this season before kick-off - started up front to add some physical presence but it was the Bluebirds who took the lead after just three minutes.
Darcy Blake played an incisive ball down the right for former Wolves striker Jay Bothroyd, who cut the ball sharply back to McCormack.
He turned Dejan Stefanovic on the penalty spot before calmly slotting a left-footed strike wide of David Marshall and into the back of the net.
Terrible start
It was a terrible start by Norwich but they were handed a golden chance to equalise just five minutes later when Joe Ledley was adjudged to have fouled midfielder Matty Pattison inside the box.
Cureton stepped up but rolled his spot-kick wide of Tom Heaton's right-hand post.
Pattison then forced a decent stop from the England Under 21 goalkeeper with a low shot before McCormack stung the palms of Marshall from the edge of the area.
Ledley should have extended the hosts' lead when a set-piece found its way through to him at the far post but he mis-hit his shot and saw it creep wide from four yards.
Early in the second half Roger Johnson looped a header just wide from a McCormack free-kick, and Pattison then drilled a shot wide before McCormack doubled the lead with a 67th-minute penalty.
The striker burst into the box and was felled by on-loan Celtic defender John Kennedy. He stepped up and confidently drove the ball home from 12 yards.
Lupoli was brought on with 17 minutes remaining and took just four minutes to reduce the deficit.
A corner was only half cleared and, when Lee Croft drove the ball back into the area, the former Arsenal youngster was perfectly placed to stab in from a suspiciously offside position.
And the diminutive striker was at it again in the 81st minute when another excellent cross from Croft was headed across Heaton to claim a point.
