Dean Smith reflects on draw with Reading

Head coach Dean Smith spoke to Canaries TV following Norwich City's 1-1 draw with Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Head coach Dean Smith spoke to Canaries TV following Norwich City's 1-1 draw with Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

It's a ninth consecutive game in the Sky Bet Championship for Smith's side without defeat and one he admitted was a "fair result".

"I didn't think we quite did enough to win it in the final third. They're a good team, they make it hard for you. Probably two different styles in terms of the way they got the ball up to Andy Carroll and get the ball around him," Smith said.

"They were quite effective at that. They had a low block against us and tried to deny Teemu (Pukki) or (Josh) Sarge or AJ (Ramsey) any space inside them. We had to be really good with the ball today and, unfortunately, I thought we were comfortable in possession without being as effective as we have been in recent weeks with the ball."

Grant Hanley's 50th-minute strike gave Norwich the lead, and put them in a position that Smith felt they should have been able to capitalise on.

"But, when we score the goal, I do expect us to go on and win the game because that's the belief I've got in the group of players we've got. It's a poor goal for us to concede," he added.

"We spoke at half-time and before the game about having a higher line to get pressure on the back three to stop the long diagonals into Andy Carroll but we didn't do that, then we miss a tackle but we've still got nine players, 10 players in our penalty box and it's a shot from outside the box that they shouldn't score from.

"I think you can see from their supporters and their players at the end of the game, they were really happy with a point. That's the respect we've got in this league and they've showed us how hard it's going to be to go and win points."