The Canaries stayed in seventh place with ten points after eventually dispatching Barnsley back to Yorkshire with nothing but pride to show for their efforts.
Having taken a first half lead against the run of play with Jay McEveley's header, Barnsley looked content to sit on their lead and just attack Norwich on the counter in the second half. Mark Robin's side were to pay the price as Paul Lambert's instrumental substitutions turned the game around in the last 20 minutes.
The equaliser came from a Stephen Foster own goal and Chris Martin strike sealed the three points in the 80th minute.
The City boss made two changes from the side that did so well at Nottingham Forest before the international break. A surprise exclusion was keeper John Ruddy, which meant a first league start this season for 19 year old Declan Rudd. While left sided midfielder Andrew Surman was also missing from the squad, with Simon Lappin a ready made replacement on the left side of the diamond midfield.
For the visitors, as well as the manager another ex-Canary Jason Shackell lined up in central defence. Robins was missing midfielder Hugo Colace (calf strain) and replaced him with Nathan Doyle.
City kicked off towards the Barclay end with the sun on their backs and immediately looked to put pressure on Barnsley.
A lot of the early play was down the left hand side evolving around Adam Drury and he was denied a clear corner in the 8th minute. Another move down the left saw the ball switched quickly into the centre where Korey Smith was fouled just outside the visitors area. Unfortunately Chris Martin's freekick rebounded off the wall and although Russell Martin got to the loose ball, his cross just evaded Simon Lappin at the far post.
Chris Martin tried his prowess from a free kick again in the 16th minute but again disappointingly, he didn't lift it high enough and this time Lappin's shot from the rebound deflected out for a corner. Lappin took the flagkick from in front of the snakepit and although Gary Holt got his head to the ball, he couldn't keep his header down and Luke Steele in Barnsley's goal watched it safely clear his crossbar.
In the 20th minute Elliot Ward was shown the games first yellow card, although Barnsley could also only hit the freekick against the wall. The visitors then won their first corner of the game in the 22nd minute, but the referee Geoff Ward, blew for an opposition foul.
The Canaries then had a spell of pressure that really should have seen them take the lead. From a Lappin throw in, Holt found Chris Martin with a cushioned header, and the young striker put his shot wide.
Then twice within a minute the home side came close. First Lappin's freekick is headed goal ward, but was a comfortable catch for the Barnsley keeper; and then from the on-song Drury's accurate throw to Holt, the City captain rounded Bobby Hassell to put the ball into the 6-yard area where striker Martin could only watch the keeper save his goal bound header.
City had a genuine appeal for a penalty turned down in the 36th minute, as Shackell held Holt, preventing him from jumping to meet a Drury cross.
In first half stoppage time Barnsley produced a real sucker punch to take the lead. Kieran Trippier's freekick from out wide on the right, caught City's defence sleeping handing an easy opportunity for Jay McEveley to head past an exposed Rudd.
HALF-TIME: City 0 Barnsley 1
Only three minutes of the half had gone when Barnsley so nearly caught the home defence out again. With striker Andy Gray having fallen in the area and struggling on the ground to retain the ball, he somehow managed to find Trippier. But with just Rudd to beat, he could only put his shot over the bar.
Despite that let off, the Canaries struggled to take control of the game and with Barnsley seemingly content to sit on their slim lead, the game went through a very stop, start, period.
It wasn't until the 63rd minute that Norwich produced their first meaningful attack of the second half. The ball was moved more quickly and found City players and a move that started with Drury down the left, finished with Russell Martin, who had drifted in from the right, having clear sight of the goal. He probably had more time than he realised, so it was very disappointing that he put his shot over the bar.
In spite of that improvement, Lambert decided it was time for a change. He sacrificed Lappin, who had been combining well all afternoon with Drury, for the pace and unpredictability of Anthony McNamee.
Within just seven minutes it had the desired effect. Even though it had looked like McNamee had lost out to their left back McEveley, the former Swindon striker tenaciously won the ball back. From his whipped in cross right on the byline, the ball ricocheted into the net off defender Foster, leaving their keeper helpless to prevent the equalising goal.
Boosted by that goal City, urged on by a more vocal home support, looked a different force. Again the influential Drury got down the left, before delivering a cross for Holt. The striker is denied by Barnsley's defence, but the ball fell nicely for Smith although he could only put his shot over from 12 yards.
In the 77th minute excellent work by Holt saw him cut in from the left and cross into the area. The ball was only half cleared as far as McNamee, who as he prepared to shoot, Steele bravely came out to block his attempted shot.
Before play resumed, the tiring Hoolahan was replaced by Simeon Jackson.
Drury was involved in City's winning goal as he did well to retrieve a lose ball just outside the 'D' and smarlty found Chris Martin in the area. The young striker coolly stroked the ball past Steele into the far corner to send the home fans into raptures.
This forced Barnsley to come out to try and retrieve something from the game. But even when Gray did get in behind the City backline, looking suspiciously offside, Ward perfectly timed his tackle to get the ball back to his keeper. Rudd then calmly found Martin who cleared the danger.
The Canaries then safely coped with the four minutes of extra time to deservedly take all three points.
FULL-TIME: City 2 Barnsley 1
Goals:
City: Foster (OG) 71, C.Martin 80
Barnsley: McEveley 45+2
Bookings:
City: Jackson 90+2,
Barnsley: McEveley 83, O'Brien 90+3
Referee: Mr Geoff Ward
Attendance: 24,624