Jacob Wright netted his first Norwich City goal, only for a stoppage-time winner to condemn the Canaries to a 4-3 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday, and the midfielder is now calling on his team-mates to sustain that second-half character across a full 90 minutes.

From 3-1 down to 3-3, then undone at the death

Trailing 3-1 at the Riverside, Norwich clawed their way back to 3-3 before Middlesbrough scored a late fourth to settle a seven-goal contest. Wright, introduced from the bench, was at the heart of the Canaries' fightback and registered his maiden goal for the club in the process.

"There are big learnings to take from it," Wright told BBC Radio Norfolk. "The way we came back in the second half is credit to the boys, the heart and personality we showed to get back in the game."

The 20-year-old was direct about what the squad must carry forward: "If we can take that for the rest of the season throughout the full game, not just half a game, it's only going to be good for us."

A young squad building an identity

Norwich sit 12th in the Championship after seven matches, with three wins and four defeats returning nine points. Wright, who signed permanently last summer for £2.3m after an initial loan spell from Manchester City in February 2025, acknowledged that the Canaries are still developing their collective identity.

"We're a young squad, but there's plenty of heart in this dressing-room, and plenty of togetherness," he said. "The boys are all together and will continue to push each other every single day because we are fighting each other for places in the starting eleven and the squad."

Wright has largely operated from the bench in the Championship so far this season, a situation he accepts as part of the modern game. "It's part of modern football to have big squads, using plenty of rotation to keep the freshness and get the output and intensity that we want to play at," he said.

The bigger picture for Norwich

The manner of the defeat will sting, particularly because the Canaries demonstrated they have the character to compete in a promotion-race six-pointer against a Middlesbrough side also harbouring ambitions of returning to the top flight. That they let a 3-3 position turn into defeat in added time speaks to the fine margins that will define where Norwich finish come May.

Three wins from seven is a foundation, not a platform. The gap between competing for 45 minutes and competing for 90 is the challenge Johannes Hoff Thorup's squad must close if they are to push themselves into the upper reaches of the second tier.

For Wright personally, a first competitive goal is a moment to build on. With competition for places fierce throughout the squad, he will be determined to translate that substitute contribution into a sustained run of involvement, whether from the start or from the bench.

Norwich's next Championship fixture will provide another measure of progress. Saturday's rollercoaster at the Riverside showed they can produce moments of real quality; the question now is whether they can string those moments together into a consistent 90-minute performance.

Frequently asked

What was the score between Middlesbrough and Norwich City?
Middlesbrough beat Norwich City 4-3 in a Championship match at the Riverside Stadium, with the home side scoring a stoppage-time winner after the Canaries had come back from 3-1 down to level at 3-3.
Who is Jacob Wright and how did he join Norwich City?
Jacob Wright is a 20-year-old midfielder who joined Norwich City initially on loan from Manchester City in February 2025. He signed permanently last summer for a fee of £2.3m.
Where are Norwich City in the Championship table?
After seven matches, Norwich City sit 12th in the Championship with nine points, having won three and lost four of their opening games.