Middlesbrough Under-23s 2 Norwich City Under-23s 2

Matt Jarvis took a step closer to a first team comeback when he got 73 minutes of action under his belt for City's Under-23s.

The 30-year-old winger, who is on the comeback trail after recovering from summer knee surgery, got through the game at the Darlington Arena with no problems and helped a young City side to a hard-earned point. And he took to Twitter afterwards to comment on another important step towards a possible first team recall.

'Good to get 73 mins of hard work into me tonight! Hard earned 2-2 draw in tough conditions! Well played lads!,' he said.

Jarvis, who had played for 45 minutes at Carrow Road last week in the Under-23s' defeat against their Swansea counterparts in the Checkatrade Trophy, was the only over-age play in Dimitri Halajko's young side.

They went behind on the half hour mark when Junior Mondal scored for the hosts but responded superbly by scoring twice early in the second period. Louis McIntosh converted from the penalty spot just 90 seconds after the restart to restore parity and 10 minutes later the Canaries were ahead as Benny Ashley-Seal fired home.

Carlos de Pena ensured City wouldn't be going home with all three points when he equalised on 80 minutes – but it was still a good night's work for the visitors, with fit-again Conor McGrandles another player to step up his comeback from injury.

City Under-23s: Killip, Efete, Godfrey, Crowe, Ramsay (Lewis 12), Grant, McGrandles (Higgs 81), McIntosh. Jarvis (Sambu, 73), Ashley-Seal, Middleton. Subs not used: Hallett (GK), Odusina.