Defender Zak Whitbread's first goal for Norwich City was enough to keep them in second place in the Championship table as they collected a hard-earned point at Hull City.

But veteran Nick Barmby denied the Canaries yet another away victory with a second-half equaliser after coming on as a substitute.

Whitbread celebrated his call-up to the United States international squad by heading in from David Fox's free-kick in the 27th minute, and two fine saves by John Ruddy plus a glaring miss by James Harper ensured Norwich led at the interval.

Barmby's 74th-minute equaliser from a cross by Matty Fryatt set up a thrilling finish in which either side could have snatched victory, with Henri Lansbury desperately close to a late winner for the Canaries and Ruddy making another vital save in the dying minutes.

A point was enough to keep Paul Lambert's men in second place with eight games to go and a fortnight's break now upon us.

Lambert made one change from the team that started the 3-1 victory over Bristol City on Monday.

Henri Lansbury, who scored one goal and set up another against the Robins after his late introduction as a substitute, was recalled to the starting line-up at the expense of striker Simeon Jackson, who was named among the substitutes.

The Canaries were still without strikers Aaron Wilbraham (back injury) and Chris Martin (hamstring), plus long-term casualty Leon Barnett, recovering from a hamstring operation.

Hull made one change to the team that beat Coventry 1-0 with defender Jack Hobbs brought in for Tom Cairney, who was on the bench.

The Canaries, playing in their change strip of all white on a surface looking bare in places, won a corner in the first minute but Surman's kick failed to beat the first man.

Hoolahan had a 20-yard effort deflected wide for another corner after three minutes, but Holt was penalised for pushing as he jumped to meet Fox's kick.

Goalkeeper Guzan gathered a cross from Lansbury as Norwich pressed again and needed attention before continuing.

Tierney was caught by a late challenge by Harper as Hull went forward but was able to continue without treatment, and then Ward made a brilliant block on Rosenior after the Hull man played a one-two and prepared to shoot.

Whitbread then blocked Rosenior's cross at the expense of a corner after good work by Harper.

There were half-hearted appeals for a penalty when Fryatt went down in the Norwich area and, as Hull continued to press, Rosenior forced another corner.

With a quarter of an hour gone, Hull were awarded a free-kick 10 yards outside the area when Lansbury was adjudged to have fouled Gerrard, but Rosenior fired his dead-ball effort straight into the wall.

McLean fired over after a move involving Koren and Fryatt, but the opening quarter of the match had produced little to trouble either keeper.

But the breakthrough came in the 27th minute and it was the Canaries who moved ahead with Whitbread's first goal for the club.

Fox floated a free-kick into the Hull area from the left side and Whitbread rose to meet it and beat Guzan with the simplest of headers.

Lansbury fired wide after a corner from Surman was half-cleared as Norwich looked for a second.

Hull could have drawn level in the 33rd minute when a ricochet off Ward left Fryatt in the clear and he homed in on goal, only to be

denied by a fine save by Ruddy, diving to his right.

The Tigers squandered a real opportunity two minutes later when Whitbread was unable to control Tierney's poor pass and McLean gained possession but the striker wasted the opening by trying to find Koren instead of shooting, and the ball rolled harmlessly out.

Fox needed treatment when he landed badly on his back after a challenge by Evans.

Six minutes before the break, there was a glaring miss as Rosenior got the better of Hoolahan close to the byline on the Hull right and his cross into the six-yard box presented Harper with what should have been a simple tap-in, but he managed to lift his shot over the bar, to the dismay of the home crowd.

A foul on Evans gave Hull a free-kick in first-half stoppage time, just outside the area, and Ruddy made another fine saves, diving to his right to push Dawson's shot past the post.

• HALF-TIME: Hull City 0, Norwich City 1

Hull were awarded a free-kick in the opening seconds of the second half when Rosenior went down, but Dawson's kick was easily cleared.

Evans then had a shot blocked by Ward as the home side pressed again.

A foul by Fox on Harper gave Hull another free-kick on the right but McLean flicked a harmless header over the top from Dawson's kick.

Evans needed attention after a bang on the head but was soon back in the action.

Ward was winning nearly everything in the air and got his head to an inswinging corner from Dawson as Hull continued to look for an equaliser.

A poor, sliced clearance from Tierney from another Dawson free-kick gave Hull another corner, Ward conceding a second as he headed clear from Dawson's kick.

Norwich won a free-kick on the left when Lansbury was shoved to the ground by Gerrard. Surman's kick was headed clear by Gerrard and when the ball was returned by Ward, Crofts glanced a header wide.

With 59 minutes gone, Guzan denied the Canaries a second goal with an important save from Hoolahan after a flowing move. Fox, Lansbury and Holt combined to set up Hoolahan on the left side of the area, but the keeper beat away his shot at the near post.

With an hour gone, Lambert replaced Surman with Lappin and Hull made a change at the same time with Barmby on for Harper.

Referee Shoebridge lectured Russell Martin and Dawson when it seemed the Norwich man had been tugged back in the penalty area and he

reacted angrily to the lack of a decision.

There were then appeals for handball against Hobbs as Hoolahan tried to control a corner from Fox, but again the official was unimpressed.

A foul by Ward on Barmby gave Hull yet another free-kick five yards outside the Norwich area, but Dawson curled his shot straight into the wall.

Holt hooked a volley over the top from outside the penalty area as the Canaries broke, and it was time for another change with 20 minutes left when Belaid replaced McLean.

A shot by Koren was diverted wide off his own team-mate, Fryatt, after good work by Dawson, and Evans had a shot blocked by Russell Martin.

Despite plenty of possession, Hull had not created too many clear cut-chances but they levelled on 74 minutes through the veteran Barmby.

City were cut open on the right-hand side of the defence after Ward halted Koren's progress and Fryatt squared for Barmby to sidefoot a simple equaliser.

Gerrard cut out a cross from Russell Martin as Norwich, looking to restore their lead, broke on the right.

Hull made their final change with 10 minutes left as Amoo was sent on for Rosenior, and one minute later, Jackson replaced Fox for Norwich.

Ruddy saved a long-range effort from Evans, but it was the visitors who nearly snatched the lead through substitute Jackson. Hoolahan took a pass from Tierney and played in Jackson, who turned on a sixpence before firing in a low shot that Guzan dived to his left to save.

Lansbury was agonisingly close to making it 2-1 with two minutes left when Holt flicked Tierney's ball into the area and Lansbury, knocked off balance, poked a shot just the wrong side of the post.

At the other end, Ruddy rescued the Canaries by diving to his left to push away a shot from substitute Belaid.

Fryatt fired across goal with another late chance after Ward suffered a knock and, at the other end, Chester was booked for a foul on Lappin.

Hoolahan tried to wriggle through as the late excitement continued, but was halted just inside the Hull area.

• RESULT: Hull City 1, Norwich City 1

• Hull City: Guzan; Rosenior (Amoo, 80), Chester, Hobbs, Gerrard, Dawson; Harper (Barmby, 61), Evans; Koren; Fryatt, McLean (Belaid, 70).

Subs (not used): Oxley, Garcia, Simpson, Cairney.

• Norwich City: Ruddy; Russell Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Tierney; Lansbury, Crofts, Fox (Jackson, 81), Surman (Lappin, 60); Hoolahan, Holt.

Subs (not used): Rudd, Drury, Edwards, Korey Smith, McMamee.

• Referee: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire)

• Attendance: 22,967

• Goals: Hull: Barmby (74). Norwich: Whitbread (27)

• Bookings: Hull: Chester (90). Norwich: Ward (74)