Norwich City’s second half collapse at Sheffield United has not dented Dean Smith’s belief they will be in the Championship promotion mix.

The Canaries blew a two goal lead at Bramall Lane, and Teemu Pukki had a tame penalty saved late on in front of the travelling support.

City now head to resurgent Burnley on Tuesday with one win in seven and the pressure mounting.

“I’d like to be at the top but we all know what the Championship is like. We are 16 games in, a long way to go,” said Smith. “I said on Friday I firmly believe we will be there come the end and we have come to a team here who will expect the same, and after 65 minutes we could be 3-0, 4-0 up.

“This is a tough place to come to. We are disappointed to go away with one point. We opened them up countless times and their centre halves were scared to death of our attacking players, but we couldn’t kill the game at 2-0.

“We gave away some silly fouls, we got involved with their players and it gave the crowd a lift. At 2-0 I felt the crowd were against them. The goals we conceded are soft. John Egan plays a 60 yard ball and Dimi (Giannoulis) doesn’t get tight enough to stop the cross.

"That is probably understandable given how long he has been out. Second goal we don’t deal with the ball into the box. I was disappointed how we finished the game.”

Giannoulis and Isaac Hayden were thrust into starts after long term layoffs, with injury, illness and Kenny McLean’s red card forcing Smith’s hand.

“That is the pleasing thing to get them back. Isaac came in and did what it says on the tin, he protected the back four,” said Smith. “I thought we defended our box really well in that first half and every time we broke forward felt we were going to create a big chance.

“He was more than comfortable to start the game after 45 minutes at Watford. It was needs must. Gabby (Sara) woke up in the morning, ill, so he had to pull out. Sam Byram pulled out on the Friday. Our numbers were down and I felt Isaac, and Dimi, could give us 65, 70 minutes.”

City lost their appeal to overturn McLean’s red card on Friday, with the Scot set to serve the second of a three-match ban at Turf Moor for tangling with Luton’s Tom Lockyer.

“I still believe the referee guessed but what was hard in terms of winning an appeal was you have to show it was an obvious error on the referee’s part,” said Smith. “He has made an error. No camera angle I have seen can see whether it is a punch, push or slap.”