READING FC picked up a point at Carrow Road after Andy Carroll levelled up late in the day from the penalty spot.
The Royals made a bright start when Junior Hoilett burst forward and was tripped an inch outside the penalty area.
But Reading couldn’t take advantage of that despite having a relatively strong first-half performance.
The first goal of the game was scored by Adam Idah in the 53rd minute when he slammed the ball past Joe Lumley.
But the Royals responded with seven minutes to go when Carroll slotted past Gunn
The result means that Reading end the calendar year in 10th position on 36 points.
Reading would be looking to reverse their fortunes on the road where they have picked up 10 points from 12 away games.
Meanwhile, it’s their home form that has kept them in the top half of the table with the second best record in the division with 25 points from 12 matches.
Paul Ince made one change from the victory over Swansea City as Lucas Joao took the place of Yakou Meite to partner Andy Carroll up top, while there was a return to the squad for Scott Dann who has been out for eight months with injury.
The Canaries would look to be impressing their future new boss after previous manager Dean Smith was dismissed last week after defeat to Luton Town.
Before proceedings took place at Carrow Road, there was a touching tribute to footballing legend Pele after he passed away on Thursday.
The Royals made a lightning fast start when Junior Hoilett steamed down the pitch through the centre of the Norwich team and was only stopped when he was hauled down by Grant Hanley on the very edge of the box.
The Norwich skipper opted to take an early booking by bringing down Hoilett instead of letting the Canadian burst into the box.
From the resulting free-kick, Tom Ince struck at goal and looked to beat Angus Gunn on his near post, but the keeper pushed it away for a corner.
Reading skipper Andy Yiadom was required to make an important intervention to prevent Teemu Pukki from squaring the ball to a teammate.
The hosts’ best chance came in the 17th minute when Pukki was played through on the right but was let down by a heavy first touch that allowed Joe Lumley to make the save.
The chance wasn’t gone when the ball fell for Josh Sargent, but Tom Holmes was perfectly placed on the line to make the clearance before Adam Idah fired over the top.
Norwich picked up another yellow when Sam McCallum flew in on Yiadom, but the visitors were unable to take advantage from the set piece.
The half ended as it had begun with a Reading free-kick on the very edge of the Norwich box, this time after Joao was tripped.
Hoilett tried his luck this time and tried to catch Gunn out at the far post but hit his effort just wide.
The Canaries found the breakthrough quickly after the restart when Idah got on the end of Pukki’s knockdown and lashed the ball past Lumley with a venomous strike.
On his 100th appearance in the blue and white hoops, Holmes picked up a yellow just before an hour when he scythed down Pukki.
Gunn was required to make an excellent save to deny Joao from close range following a corner and moments later Mamadou Loum hooked a volley over the bar as the search for an equaliser continued.
Ince made his first change of the night with 25 minutes to go which saw Meite replace Joao.
Lumley was called into action to keep the score down to one when he got down low to stop Sargent from picking out the bottom left corner.
Still chasing the game with a little over 15 minutes left, Nesta Guiness-Walker entered the match to replace Tom McIntyre at left wing-back.
The sub made an impact when he won a penalty after being fouled in the box.
Carroll stepped up to the mark and powered his penalty beyond the reach of Gunn who guessed the right way but couldn’t get a hand to it.
Neither side were able to find a winner as the points were shared with Reading taking a point in their final match of the year.
Ince’s men begin the New Year with a trip to the Hawthorns to face in-form West Bromwich Albion on Monday, January 2.
Norwich: Gunn, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, McCallum, Gomes Sara, McLean, Nunez, Sargent, Pukki, Idah
Subs: Krul, Omobamidele, Hayden, Hugill, Dowel, Hernandez, Gibbs
Reading: Lumley, Yiadom (c), Holmes, Sarr, McIntyre, Hoilett, Hendrick, Loum, Ince, Joao, Carroll
Subs: Dann, Long, Meite, Rahman, Guinness-Walker, Bouzanis, Mbengue
Goals: Idah 53’, Carroll 83’ (pen)
