22.08.2015 18:17 h

Butland excels to earn Stoke point at Norwich

Goalkeeper Jack Butland produced a fine display as Stoke City earned a 1-1 draw against promoted Norwich City at Carrow Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Stoke's £12 million ($18.7 million, 16.9 million euros) record signing Xherdan Shaqiri set up an early opener for Mame Biram Diouf that was cancelled out shortly before the half-hour by home captain Russell Martin.

Norwich created a glut of opportunities thereafter, but one-cap England international Butland saved from Graham Dorrans, Nathan Redmond and Stoke old boy Cameron Jerome to earn Alex Neil's side a point.

The result left Norwich in eighth place in the nascent standings, two points above Stoke, who are still waiting for their first win of the season.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes made one change to his team, with Shaqiri replacing Jon Walters, who was left out of the squad following reports that he was the subject of an unsuccessful bid from Norwich earlier this week.

Shaqiri had been suspended for last weekend's 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur due to a ban held over from last season, but he took less than 11 minutes to make his mark in the red and white stripes.

The Swiss international, formerly of Inter Milan, sent a free-kick dipping into the Norwich box from wide on the right and the unmarked Diouf stooped to head home his second goal in two games.

Butland preserved Stoke's lead by rushing out to save at the feet of Steven Whittaker, but Norwich equalised in the 28th minute.

Redmond's flick found Martin strolling into the Stoke box and the centre-back coolly finished between Butland's legs.

Robbie Brady threatened to put the home side ahead shortly before half-time, but his free-kick curled narrowly wide, while Redmond flashed a shot across goal early in the second period.

Still Norwich came, with Jerome shooting wide and Butland tipping an effort from Dorrans onto the post before producing a superb save to turn a shot from Redmond behind.

Norwich continued to push in the latter stages, but again Butland thwarted them, repelling another long-range effort from Dorrans and then blocking Jerome's overhead kick at point-blank range.

Both sides saw substitutes squander gilt-edged chances at the death, with Joselu blazing over from close range for Stoke and Bradley Johnson doing likewise for Norwich.