A LATE goal from Manchester United's Belgian Ritchie De Laet spoilt man-of-the-match Tom Adeyemi and City's afternoon at Carrow Road.

The young midfielder gave City the lead midway through the first half with a fantastic strike from just outside the area but United grew as the match wore on and equalised five minutes from time.

New signings Grant Holt, Stephen Hughes and Simon Whaley were handed places on the bench, while loanee Ben Alnwick started in goal. Danish triallist Jens Berthel Askou partnered Gary Doherty in defence and New Zealand international striking triallist Kris Bright was among nine substitutes.

City started the brighter of the two sides creating two early chances, which both fell to Jamie Cureton.

Chris Martin won possession and fed the re-signed Paul McVeigh, whose delivery into the box was slightly behind Cureton and the striker's volley on the turn failed to test Tom Heaton in the Manchester United goal.

Two minutes later another cross from the right caused problems for the United defence. Heaton came for an Otsemobor delivery and was beaten in the air by Cureton but his header went agonisingly wide of the right-hand post.

Lovely link-up play from McVeigh and Cureton culminated in an opportunity for Chris Martin but David Gray came to United's rescue with a last-ditch tackle in the 11th minute.

From the resulting corner, captain Gary Doherty met McVeigh's delivery with a firm header straight at Heaton.

Quarter of an hour in and Martin was again denied with a saving tackle, this time Tom Cleverley going to ground to deny the striker as he was preparing to pull the trigger.

City's pressure told six minutes later when Tom Adeyemi picked up a loose ball just outside the area and hit a rasping right-footed drive that beat Heaton to his right to give the Canaries a deserved lead.

RASPER: Young midfielder Tom Adeyemi opens the
scoring at Carrow Road with a rasping drive

The 17-year-old midfielder almost repeated the trick shortly afterwards when a Hoolahan cross was partially cleared and Adeyemi's half-volley scissor-kick from 20 yards flew inches wide of Heaton's right-hand post.

Ten minutes before half-time United were handed the opportunity to drew level when Cameron Stewart went down under a challenge from Doherty in the area and referee Keith Hill awarded the visitors a penalty.

Midfielder Sam Hewson stepped up and smashed the penalty to new loan signing Ben Alnwick's left but the Tottenham 'keeper was equal to his shot and Danish triallist Askou was first to the rebound to clear for City and preserve their lead.

Heaton showed good reflexes moments before the interval to deny Owain Tudur Jones. The Welsh international got on the end of a right-footed Hoolahan cross from the left but the midfielder's header was well saved down low by the United custodian.

The Red Devils looked threatening in their next attack, but Cleverley blazed his shot from just inside the area over Alnwick's bar.

Half-TIme: City 1 Man Utd XI 0

DE LATE: Jamie Cureton challenges United's
goalscorer Ritchie De Laet

Six changes were made at the break. Gunn shuffled his pack with four substitutions, Adam Drury, Michael Nelson, Matt Gill and Simon Whaley replacing Wes Hoolahan, Gary Doherty, Owain Tudur Jones and Paul McVeigh respectively with Simon Lappin moving forward to the left-hand side of midfield.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made two changes introducing Oliver Gill, son of Chief Executive David and Oliver Norwood for James Chester and Sam Hewson.

The second half was a much more cagey affair with neither side creating any decent opportunities, Cureton again with the best of them though.

Cureton tested Heaton with an effort from range and just after the hour mark had the ball pinched off this toes after being played in by the impressive Adeyemi.

Triallist Kris Bright was introduced on 69 minutes for Chris Martin.

City were left exposed three minutes later when a sloppy ball out of defence gave the visitors a 2-on-1 situation, but the pace of Jon Otsemobor halted Stewart's passage to goal. The striker still had the skill to work an opening but curled his effort past Alnwick's left-hand post.

United came close to equalising when David Gray's mis-hit cross cannoned off the underside of the City crossbar, bouncing clear to safety. Solskjaer's side were growing in confidence and a minute later Stewart crossed for Cleverley but the midfielder couldn't control his header.

City fans were given their first glimpse of new striker Grant Holt, signed yesterday from Shrewsbury, when he replaced Jamie Cureton with nine minutes remaining and Michael Spillane was introduced in place of Tom Adeyemi.

It was fellow sub Matt Gill who had Heaton worried when he let fly a thunderous shot from 25 yards out, but his effort beat the 'keepers full-length dive and the post.

United scored the equaliser their second half performance promised when defender Ritchie De Laet, who had been pushed forward, got in behind the City defence, latched on to a slide-rule pass and coolly slotted past Alnwick with only five minutes left.

Bright had a chance to re-establish Norwich's lead in injury time but headed straight at Heaton from Drury's left-wing cross.

In the last action of the game, Askou looped a header from a Lappin free-kick fractionally wide but City keep up their unbeaten run in pre-season against a young United side.

CITY: Alnwick, Otsemobor, Lappin, Doherty (c) (Nelson 46) , Askou, Tudur Jones (Gill 46), McVeigh (Whaley 46), Adeyemi (Spillane 81), Martin (Bright 69), Cureton (Holt 81), Hoolahan (Drury 46). Subs not used: Lee-Barrett (GK), Stephens.

Man Utd XI: Heaton, Gray, De Laet, Chester (Gill 46, Wootton 86), Cathcart, Evans (c), Eikrem, Hewson (Norwood 46), Stewart (Dudgeon 76), Cleverley, Simpson. Subs not used: Zieler (GK), Moffatt, Ajose.

Referee: K. Hill

Att: 13,381