Norwich City's bodies on the line were not quite enough to earn a first clean sheet of the season, but Marc Tierney believes the Canaries are doing everything expected of them on their top-flight return.

The City left-back was a prime example, producing a perfectly timed goal-saving tackle in the dying minutes to deny Everton's Argentinian Denis Stracqualursi – before thankfully seeing Conor McAleny fluff the follow-up.

'When you throw yourself at it you hope it's not going to straight to someone else and they put it in,' smiled Tierney. 'That would have been a bit of a killer goal but that's what I'm there for – just throw your body on the line.

'All the lads were doing it and we will continue to. That's what we get paid for, trying to keep the ball out of the net and thankfully I managed to get my tackle on time and we could carry on and take the point.

'It would be nice to get a clean sheet. As a defender you do pride yourself on it. But it's not one of those things we will get caught up in.

'When you're winning 1-0 you are trying to see the game out and we're hoping if we can just get the one the we might get a couple. But generally if we keep getting the points on the board that's the most important thing, rather than the clean sheet. I'd rather win a couple than get a few 0-0s.

'Hopefully the lads can keep scoring and hopefully the clean sheets will come. We'll just keep trying to defend as resolutely as we can and hopefully we won't concede goals when you don't get the rub of the green and the odd deflection here and there, which seems to be going against us at the minute. But we'll keep going.'

The Canaries sit ninth in the Premier League table, ahead of the likes of Everton, Aston Villa and Tuesday night's opponents Wolves – part two of a tough away double-header.

'We've got to look at is as good to take the point here really,' said Tierney. 'In this league, every point is vital for a club like us just coming up, our first taste of the Premier League for a while and we've definitely got to take the positives out of it, although when you look at it with 70 minutes to go you are looking at maybe taking all three.

'Give Everton credit. They made a few changes and threw caution to the wind. But definitely look at it as a positive, moving into Tuesday. We'll be happy with it as an away point – but I'm not so sure they will be as happy with it.'

Once Grant Holt had struck with a sumptuous turn and prod home midway through the first half, City looked like they could pick up a second away win of the season – despite Everton's glut of chances.

And while Leon Osman made sure that was not the case, Tierney reserved praise for the City skipper's classy strike – his sixth in eight games and seventh of the season.

'It was a fantastic finish, wasn't it – he's great with his back to goal,' added Tierney. 'It was one of those out of nothing. Looking at it from the defender's point of view, he can't really go anywhere and he finds the goal. That's the type of lad Grant is and it gives us something in a real hostile atmosphere to hang on to.'

As for the trip to Wolves tomorrow, Tierney added: 'They've had a bit of a wobble but again, at Molineux it will definitely be hostile and we'll have to role our sleeves up and it will possibly be more of a battle than a lovely passing game.

'The amount of games coming up, I think you do have a better idea (of how things are going) coming into January and also confidence-wise, you want to try and pick up points.

'There is hardly any time to get back and do much training – you are straight into a game and you just try and pick up points if you can over Christmas, and you might find yourselves well away from the bottom.

'That's how we've got to look at it in our first season back and hopefully we can keep picking up points, especially away from home.'