Norwich City goalscorer Michael Turner receives a painful method of congratulation from Robert Snodgrass at Villa Park. Picture: Paul Chesterton / Focus Images

Michael Turner admitted his first goal for Norwich City went some way to making amends for his first-half error which gifted Aston Villa the lead.

Turner is beginning to put a torrid opening to his City career behind him, although losing sight of Christian Benteke and allowing the Villa man to score against the run of play was a rare blot on his copybook on the day.

“We were very disappointed about the goal we conceded,” he said. “I think we started before the goal really well and were on top and to concede a goal like that was sloppy – from my point of view and the team’s point of view.

“I am sure we will have a look at that in the week and try and eradicate it.”

The relief, though, was patently obvious when Turner levelled it 11 minutes from time to give City the point they deserved, after laying siege to Brad Guzan’s goal.

Turner and Sebastien Bassong provided the heavy artillery at a corner on the right and when City took it short, Hoolahan whipped it in for Turner to glance into the far corner, before an enthusiastic celebration in front of the away fans, prompted no doubt by a huge sense of personal as well as collective relief.

“I flicked it and saw it going towards goal – it’s funny when you score a goal because you don’t always remember it hitting the net,” he said. “I was off to the fans and it was great to score and contribute to the team. I had a great chance against Arsenal and should have scored last week. I was very disappointed I didn’t.

“But we went on to win the game and it didn’t matter too much. Coming here and scoring was great for me.

“In my first season in the Premier League I scored five and feel I should be getting around that mark.

“We were really probing to get an equaliser. We felt with the chances we created it was probably the least we deserved.

“We had three or four really good chances today and I felt we should have put at least a couple of them away.

“On another day it could have been a totally different outcome. With them going down to 10 men they were totally on the back foot. We were creating good chances and I felt it would come.

“It was disappointing we never managed to get the winner.”

Having run the gauntlet of criticism from the keyboard warriors and, to a lesser extent, from the stands, Turner and Bassong have played the last two games together, and while it’s in its formative stages, the former Hull and Sunderland man is hoping it is the beginning of a fruitful partnership.

“It is the second game we have played and just conceded the one goal, which was a mistake from us,” he said. “But it has been good so far.

“It was probably the only chance they had and they have taken it. That goes to show what a good performance we had throughout the whole game.”

Turner admits he is now beginning to feel more like part of the furniture – a brilliant intervention, at full stretch, which took the ball off Benteke’s toe as he headed for goal was some proof of why Chris Hughton signed him in the summer.

One or two theories have been put forward for Turner’s slow start – the man himself suggests a bout of ‘Asian flu’ might be responsible.

“It’s been frustrating,” he said. “I have been in and out of the team since the start of the season. It has been a frustrating start for me but I am pleased to get the goal.

“I had a bit of an iffy pre-season. Obviously the whole Norwich thing was coming together, but I went away with Sunderland to the Far East.

“Pre-season was indifferent – I probably didn’t get the base of the first few weeks I would have hoped for.

“It is getting a run of games and showing my consistency.”