Norwich City were beaten in the FA Youth Cup third round at home to Stoke City despite racing into a two-nil lead at Carrow Road.
Ken Aboh and Oscar Thorn scored in the opening 15 minutes to put the Canaries into a commanding position, but the visitors fought back to lead at half-time and then saw out a largely uneventful second half without any issue.
Norwich made one change to the side that had lost to Leicester City in the Under-18 Premier League South last time out as Harry Brooke came into the side for Waylon Renecke.
The match was only six minutes old when Norwich City took the lead. A ball out from Jayden St Paul was expertly played on first time by Joe Duffy to send Ken Aboh clear. He did superbly to shake off a late sliding challenge in the box and then fired into the bottom corner.
Ted Cargill replied for Stoke City with a free kick that St Paul pushed onto his post before Oscar Thorn scored a wonderful second on 15 minutes to put the Canaries firmly in control. It came from a bouncing ball forward from Ola Okeowo that Thorn took a touch to control before firing a half volley past Tommy Simkin from just inside the box.
However, that two-goal advantage lasted just five minutes as Shilo Waldo was afforded too much time on the edge of the box to shoot and his effort deflected its way past St Paul. Norwich were still looking the more threatening at this stage though with Harry Brooke curling an effort wide and Alex Matos bringing a good save out of Simkin with an angled drive.
Jack Griffiths fired another warning shot though when he sent a shot across the face of goal and when Samuel Knowles took aim from a similar position, moments later, he found the bottom corner to level the tie on 40 minutes.
And a minute, Stoke where in front when Griffiths took aim once more, this time from outside the area and curled an effort just inside the post. Norwich had a chance to draw level when Brooke attempted to find the net from distance, after Simkin had come off his line to clear, but his effort was a foot wide of the post.
Stoke were first to go close in the second half as George Lewis had a shot well blocked by Lewis Shipley.
Substitute Kenny Coker then rattled the post for Norwich, but he had been flagged for offside prior to hitting the woodwork anyway. Then on 69 minutes Aboh went in search of a second as he spun and fired an effort at goal which was straight at Simkin and easily saved.
With 10 minutes left Bradley Hills sent a header from a Dubem Eze corner towards goal that Simkin caught. However, the host were struggling to carve out clearcut scoring opportunities as they managed in the first half resulting in Matos taking aim from distance and firing over.
Substitute Alex Roberts had the best chance to level in the final minute of the match when he was played in on the edge of the box, but his first touch was loose and that allowed the ball to run harmlessly through to the keeper.
Norwich City: St Paul, Okeowo, Foyo, Hills, Shipley, Welch, Matos, Brooke (Coker, 59) Aboh, Thorn (Roberts, 85), Duffy (Eze, 72).
Subs not used: Trueman, Jambang, Reindorf.
Goals: Aboh (6), Thorn (15)
Bookings:
Stoke City: Simkin, Curl, Asplin-Rowley, Cargill, Okagbue, Roney, Knowles, Lewis, Tezgel (C), Griffiths, Waldo.
Subs not used: Laird, Robson, Bickerton, Knott, Waite Lusakueno, Ali
Goals: Waldo (20), Knowles (40), Griffiths (41)
Bookings: Knowles (61)
HT: 3-2
Venue: Carrow Road