On The Ball written by Benedict Cordy. Please refresh your browser for the latest coverage by pressing F5.

Full-time: City 2 Preston 2

90+3: That's it, the referee blows his whistle to end the game. The Canaries were so close to three points there before the game turned on it's head in the space of a couple of minutes. City 2, Preston 2.

90+2: City freekick. Same place as the second goal. Bell will take. This time Preston deal with it and counter. Marshall sends the ball deep. Clingan tries to find Cureton but he is given offside.

90+1: Fans are making their way to the exits. Preston's Sedgwick tries to close down Marshall but the 'keeper races out to deny him a chance of shooting.

90th: Three minutes to be added.

88th: Marshall saves with his legs to deny Sedgwick who found space after showing good ball control. Corner to Preston. So many yellow shirts are back now. The corner comes in but Marshall manages to grab the ball after a weak header from Preston. The City fans are restless. Three points have got away from the Canaries.

85th: Chaplow knocks Clingan off the ball in the City corner allowing him to send a low cross into the six-yard box. Thankfully Mellor some how fails to connect as he slides in.

84th: It's all Preston now. Brown has half a chance but his volley goes well wide.

81st: This has gone from bad to worse. Substitute Neil Mellor strikes the ball from 30 yards past the diving Marshall. 2-2.

79th: Darel Russell has been sent off by referee Taylor. There was a bit of hand bags between the City captain and Ross Wallace who appeared to have his hand on the side of Russell's neck.The midfielder pushed him away and referee Taylor drew the red card for Russell saying that he had raised his hand.

77th: Lita goes in the book for taking a shot after being caught offside.

75th: Pattison comes on for Lee Croft, Crofty gets a good reception from the crowd as he claps to all corners of the ground.

74th: Kennedy puts in a well timed challenge on Mellor, the ball goes out for a corner. It's low and aimed for the front post, Mawene gets a touch on it but it goes well wide of Marshall's right hand post.

72nd: Corner to Preston Sedgwick meets it but it takes a deflection and goes for another corner. City manage to clear the danger but Preston come back again. Chaplow beats Marshall to a looping ball but puts his header well over the bar.

70th: Cureton gets on the end of a Bell pass and does well to turn the tall Mawene. The white shirts pour back and reduce the number 10's options. He tries to place the ball across to the back post for Croft but the winger can't get there.

69th: Bell goes in the book for a foul on Billy Jones.

68th: Croft and Otsemobor steam down the right wing. Croft roles the ball into his team mate who tries to square the ball to Lita. Maybe could have had a shot there. Good work from the lads on the right though.

67th: Doherty takes a deep freekick from the City half looking for Bell. The winger jumps to win the header but the flag is up for offside.

64th: Alan Irvine makes a double substitution as he looks to get his side back into this one.

64th: Preston look to come back at City forcing Darel Russell to help out the City defence.

61st: City have the lead!!!!! A Bell freekick from the left is a curling nightmare for the defenders. It clears everyone put John Kennedy who taps in on the back post. It took a deflection but he will be claiming it. Great stuff!!

60th: Mellor is on for Elliott and Preston have a corner. Norwich clear and look to counter. Lita breaks down the middle and puts the ball out wide to Bell/ He crosses with his right forcing Mawene to header the ball into the air. Lonergan comes off his line and punches the ball away from Jamie Cureton.

59th: This time Bell has a go from distance forcing Lonergan into a diving save.

57th: Bertrand sends a looping ball towards Bell who uses great skill to take the ball down before it runs out of play. He breaks down the left but the linesman's flag is up for a throw in.

56th: Preston corner. Wallace takes but it's an easy take for Marshall. He throws the ball out to Bertrand who breaks down the centre. He tries to find Rusty on the right but plays the ball too far infront of his captain.

55th: Croft lays the ball back to Lita who sends in a cross from the right. Cureton does his best to met it but his header fails to threaten the Preston goal.

54th: Today's attendance is 23,225.

52nd: It's the Canaries with the lion share of possession in the early part of this second-half.  They are looking to stretch Preston on both wings.

51st: Darel Russell sends a great cross-field pass to Croft on the right. He twists and turns but his cross is closed down by Callum Davidson.

49th: It's all a bit aerial at the moment. Preston sending in some dep balls that the Canaries manage to head clear after a number of attempts.

46th: A great ball from Cureton puts Leroy through but St Ledger steals the ball away from the striker. Leroy closes him down and is adjudged to have fouled the Preston man much to the disgust of the Snake Pit.

The teams are back out. City kicking towards the Barclay in the second-half. Preston get us underway for the second period, On the Ball City!

Half-time: City 1 Preston 1

45+3: Sibierski has not run off the earlier knock so Jamie Cureton comes on for the Frenchman.

45+2: Bell has had a great half and wins City another corner from a dangerous cross. He takes the corner from the right but Lonergan collects.

45+1: Clingan sends in a cross from deep towards Lita, he turns his back to goal and performs a bicycle kick that runs wide of the left hand post.

44th: Preston push forward forthe first time in while but fail to make anything of it. Five minutes to be added. Another corner for City. Preston clear.

41st: Semmy and Croft link on the right allowing the right-back to get forward. He sends in a low cross that Lonergan dives on before a yellow shirt could get a look in.

39th: freekick to Bell on the right. He sends it towards the back post but it just beats John Kennedy.

37th: Leroy and Sibi link releasing Lita down the right flank. He sends in a cross which takes a deflection and nearly ends up in the Lilywhites net. It goes for a corner which Bell takes. The referee's whistle goes however  for a freekick to Preston.

34th: Simon Spencer is on and is having a busy day. This time it's Sibierski down in the centre circle after colliding with Chris Brown.

31st: Bertrand comes so close to getting City's second but is denied by the bar. The defender fires in a curling effort from the right leaving Lonergan with no chance. The Lilywhites however are saved by the woodwork. The ball falls to Croft who hits it on the volley but drags it across goal. Lita nearly got on the end of it. Very close.

31st: City are causing Preston all sorts of problems down the right as Croft does well to win a throw in.

28th: The Preston 'keeper is called into action again. Lita hits a half volley with his left and looks to have beaten Lonergan but the flying 'keeper got his left hand on the ball denying Lita his second.

26th: Clingan does a dumby run and Bell follows it up with a low effort. It delfects for a corner. A number of City players appeal for handball. Preston clear the danger but City come back. Croft tries to cross and shouts of handball ring out again. Bell to take from the right. Yet again Preston clear. Bell, Semmy and Croft link up well and Bell whips in another cross with lots of height on it. Lonergan manages to collect at full stretch.

25th: City freekick just outside the D. There is a number of players who like the look of this one. Bell and Clingan are in the hot seat. My guess would be Bell.

23rd: Mckenna gives away a foul after climbing on Russell. Lita gains the ball from the freekick and drags it back to Clingan. He strikes it first time but fails to connect properly.  

20th: City have another corner thanks to Sibi. Bell to take again. Yet again it's a curling effort but this time towards the back post. Preston mange to clear the danger.

19th: Good defending from Doherty there. He headers the ball clear from the waiting Elliott back to his 'keeper.

18th: Wallace has a go from distance but it's right at Marshall. The Scot makes an easy save.

17th: Clingan looks to thread the ball through for Lita but it's cut out by the preston defence.

14th: A very good one infact! Lita is on the score sheet again!! 1-1. Lita jumps at the front post beating all the white shirts to header in from close range. Fifth goal in three games at Carrow Road for the striker.

14th: Bell wins a corner. He takes it and it's a good one.

13th: Brown goes down on the edge of the box and looks for the foul. The referee doesn't give it a second look.

11th: City's first half chance of the game as Bertrand sends in a cross from the left which just beats a leaping Sibierski.

8th: Dejan is down and the stretcher is on. He collided with Elliott on the centre spot and stayed down. Gary Doherty is getting ready to come on. The Serb has a splint on his left leg and looks to be in a lot of pain. He recieves a round of applause from the City fans as he is taken down the tunnel. Doherty is on.

6th: The City fans are a bit shell-shocked at the moment. Very quiet at Carrow Road.

2nd: The introduction appears to have been the kiss of death as Brown scores for Preston. He has scored in the second minute of the game. A long ball was pumped forward, Marshall didn't come and got caught up with Otsemobor, the ball deflects off the right-back and is heading for the goal. Semmy managed to clear the ball away from Nicholson but it fell to Brown who tapped in from close range to open the scoring.  

Chris Brown starts for Preston North Edn and recieves applause from the City fans as his name is announced. The striker didn't score at Carrow Road during his year with Norwich, the crowd will be hoping that remains the same at full-time.  City are kicking towards the N & P stand in the first-half. We are underway, come on City!

Good afternoon from Carrow Road. The Aviva Divas have performed for the crowd, and not to put any presure on the ladies but every time they have performed at Carrow Road City have won, lets hope this run continues! The Royal British Legion are on the pitch as a guard of honour for the players when they run out of the tunnel. Not a huge turn out from the Preston fans, around 300 perhaps but they are trying their hardest to be heard. The teams are out and they recieve a good reception from the Carrow Road faithful.

Glenn Roeder makes four changes to his side facing Preston North End this afternoon, three of which are in defence. Jon Otsemobor replaces the injured Elliot Omozusi at right-back while Ryan Bertrand starts at left-back coming in for Adam Drury. Dejan Stefanovic is back in the starting line-up as Gary Doherty drops to bench. Antoine Sibierski is back from Injury after missing last Saturday's defeat at Turf Moor. Mark Fotheringham makes way for the Frenchman. Arturo Lupoli and Wes Hoolahan return to the bench.

Team News from Carrow Road:

Norwich: Marshall, Otsemobor, Kennedy, Stefanovic (Doherty 10), Croft, Clingan, Sibierski (Cureton 45), Bell, Russell (C), Bertrand, Lita. SUBS: Hoolahan, Lupoli, Pattison.

Preston: Lonergan, Davidson, Mawene, C Brown, Nicholson (Chaplow 65), St Ledger (Sedgwick 65), McKenna, W Brown, Jones, Wallace, Elliott (Mellor 60) Subs not used: Parkin, Neal.