Jack Wilshere’s first game in interim charge of Norwich ended in a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough which dealt the home side another major setback in the race for the play-offs.

Wilshere took over this week after Johannes Hoff Thorup was sacked following a run of three straight defeats and one win in 10 games.

City looked much improved under the former Arsenal and England midfielder and created the better of the chances at the Riverside.

Boro have now won just one of their last five and their play-off hopes are hanging by a thread.

Michael Carrick’s side slipped to ninth and need to beat Coventry on the final day and hope Millwall and Blackburn fail to win.

Boro will have been buoyed by Coventry losing at Luton in the Championship’s early kick-off and were first to threaten when Hayden Hackney’s curling shot from outside the box was tipped around the post by Angus Gunn.

Norwich had their first sight of the Boro goal when Jack Stacey broke away down the right but his cross was cut out by home captain Jonny Howson.

The Canaries threatened again when Jacob Wright took aim and fired just over the bar from 25 yards.

Kelechi Iheanacho has struggled since his arrival on loan in January and the former Manchester City forward spurned an opportunity on the half-hour mark when he delayed his shot before Morgan Whittaker picked up the loose ball and dragged his effort wide.

Carrick was urging his players to lift the tempo and Boro had a couple of chances late in the first half. Finn Azaz saw his shot well blocked by Callum Doyle and Boro’s top scorer Tommy Conway forced a good save out of Gunn.

Norwich were sharp and bright at the start of the second half and the Championship’s top scorer Borja Sainz went close to putting the visitors ahead when he rifled a shot just wide from distance.

Wilshere turned to his bench and introduced Liam Gibbs on the hour mark and the substitute almost made an immediate impact when he got behind the Boro defence but was denied by Mark Travers.

Boro’s keeper then made a superb double save to keep out a curling effort from Sainz and Sargent’s rebound.

That seemed to spark a bit of a reaction from Boro and Gunn got fingertips to Aidan Morris’ precise strike to tip it onto a post and he did well to keep out a low Conway effort soon after.

But it was Norwich who went closest to finding the winning goal when Sargent broke away down the right and hit the outside of the far post.