Fulham and Norwich City played out a drab 0-0 draw at Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon.

In a game of few chances, Mark Schwarzer was the busier of the two goalkeepers but the Aussie custodian was never unduly troubled.

Bradley Johnson, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio caused the Whites backline the most grief during the game, while a saved Steve Sidwell effort from range was the closest we came to making the breakthrough.

Martin Jol made four changes from the side that narrowly went down 1-0 to Manchester United a week ago, with Stanislav Manolev and Emmanuel Frimpong handed their debuts for the Club after Sascha Riether and Chris Baird were taken ill.

There were recalls for Dimitar Berbatov and Sidwell after they made speedy recoveries from their respective injuries – Giorgos Karagounis and Ashkan Dejagah dropped to the bench to make way for the duo.

The play was stopped after just one minute when Berbatov needed treatment after taking a boot to the face from Johnson. The Bulgarian needed cleaning up after suffering a bloodied face but there was no malice from the Norwich midfielder.

A neatly-worked move by the home side on six minutes required a smart reaction stop by Schwarzer when Javier Garrido found Becchio in space in the area. The striker – making his full debut for the Canaries – was losing his balance as he struck but his effort was still heading in before our number one intervened.

Fulham’s first chance came three minutes later when Hugo Rodallega brought the ball down in the area before laying off to Damien Duff whose snapshot was blocked by a man in yellow.

It was a very open match and Duff – who has scored in his last two outings against Norwich – forced a corner on 19 minutes when his shot from a tight angle was deflected just over Mark Bunn’s crossbar.

It was an end-to-end contest and a fantastic cross from Johnson on 25 minutes found skipper Russell Martin in space 10 yards out but the right-back will be disappointed that his header looped comfortably wide of Schwarzer’s far post.

Two yellow cards were brandished in the space of a minute when Frimpong was adjudged to have pushed Snodgrass, before Elliott Bennett absolutely scythed down Rodallega who had spun away from the Norwich winger with ease.

The home side were beginning to dominate proceedings and Becchio got on the end of Martin’s cross on 40 minutes but couldn’t get his header on target. The Argentine striker had another aerial opportunity in first half stoppage time but he couldn’t get a clear contact on Wes Hoolahan’s fine whipped cross.

Fulham kicked off the second half and went on a purposeful attack immediately. It resulted in Berbatov slotting Rodallega in – the Colombian got his shot away and was under the impression it was blocked by a hand but referee Howard Webb waved play on.

Sidwell brought a good save from Bunn on 49 minutes when he cut inside Alex Tettey before hitting a speculative effort on his left foot. The shot was well struck and it appeared to be creeping in before the home keeper pushed it away at his near post.

Whereas Norwich had arguably been the better side in the opening 45, the Whites were dominating the second period and Bryan Ruiz nearly broke Sebastien Bassong in two when his rocket of a shot smashed into the defender’s chest. It was a good block by the Cameroon international as Ruiz’s effort looked dangerous.

Snodgrass – frustrated at being robbed by a grounded Sidwell on 58 minutes – sought revenge by chopping our midfielder down right in front of Webb who promptly brandished another yellow card.

As the stopwatch went past the hour mark, the Canaries began to exert a bit of pressure of their own with a series of corners and efforts from range. The Fulham defence held firm though and a combination of blocks and smart defending kept the home side at bay.

On 65 minutes Jol made his first change of the game as Frimpong was replaced with the more attack-minded Urby Emanuelson. The Dutchman made an immediate impact as he jinked away from his marker in the middle of the park before laying the ball wide to John Arne Riise. The left-back then fed Duff in the area who laid the ball off to Ruiz, but the playmaker ballooned his shot over the bar from 20 yards.

Fulham were looking the likeliest to score and Jol brought on a man who knows all about goals on 76 minutes when Mladen Petrić replaced the hardworking Rodallega.

Norwich substitute Simeon Jackson should have done better on 81 minutes when Hoolahan found him in space following Becchio’s knock-down but the striker finished gently into the grateful arms of Schwarzer.

Fulham hearts were in mouths on 86 minutes when the ball found its way to Johnson but his volley, fortunately, drifted marginally wide of the far post.

Both sides had half chances from a variety of set-pieces in the closing stages, but nobody could make the breakthrough as the Whites stay above the Norfolk side on goal difference.