The home fans looked on in disbelief as their team handed victory to the visitors by conceding two second half goals in quick succession from right wing crosses.
This was doubly disappointing for their supporters because the Canaries started with their heads held high after holding the Championship leaders, QPR to a goalless draw at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Paul Lambert was forced into making two changes with Adam Drury not recovering from the calf injury that saw him substituted on Saturday at QPR and Elliott Ward serving a one-match ban after collecting his fifth booking at Loftus Road. They were replaced Stephen Smith and Jen Berthal Askou respectively.
For the visitors George Burley had to do without Claude Davis, starting the first of a four match ban after being sent off at Millwall.
The game was only seven minutes old when Wes Hoolahan released Simeon Jackson with an inch-perfect through ball and the Canadian striker was unlucky to see his fierce shot come back off the crossbar.
Six minutes from half-time Simon Lappin came close to breaking the deadlock, but his shot was blocked on the line by Edgar Davids.
However, two minutes later Lappin's low cross from the left was blasted into the net from close range by Grant Holt to give Norwich a 1-0 lead at half time.
HALF-TIME: City 1 Eagles 0
The omens were looking good for City, because the Eagles had yet to score away from home, but, when there was no one on the line in the fifty-sixth minute to block Julian Bennett's header from Wilfred Zaha's right wing cross, following a short corner routine, the visitors were well and truly back in the game - so much so that it took a splendid save from John Ruddy two minutes later to prevent Palace taking the lead.
Sadly for the home fans their team seemed to have learned nothing from the manner in which the first goal had been conceded, because in the sixty-third minute Owen Garvan's right wing corner was met at the near post by a firm header from Anthony Gardner to secure victory at Carrow Road for manager George Burley - something he failed to achieve during his time in charge of local rivals, Ipswich Town.
His counterpart, Paul Lambert used all three substitutes in an attempt to salvage a point, but on this occasion there was to be no last minute equaliser to put his players and the fans in better spirits for the visit of managerless Middlesbrough on Saturday...
FULL-TIME: City 1 Eagles 2
Goals:
City: Holt (43)
Eagles: Bennett (56); Gardner (63)
Bookings:
City: None
Eagles: None
Referee:
Grant Hegley
Attendance:
24,975