THE Canaries found themselves just five points outside the relegation drop zone after Stoke produced a smash and grab at Carrow Road.
City had fallen behind in the 58th minute to a headed goal from Mamady Sidibe, with the big forward connecting with a long throw from Rory Delap to loop the ball over David Marshall in the Norwich goal.
And Norwich were left to rue a number of missed chances - including one from Jamie Cureton deep in stoppage time. The striker shot wide with the goal at his mercy from no more than three yards out, handing a real killer blow to a City side who deserved at least a point from the match.
But in the end it was not to be, with Stoke re-igniting their push for the Premier League and Norwich left to peer anxiously over their shoulders once again.
City boss Glenn Roeder restored Cureton to the starting line-up alongside Dion Dublin in one of three changes for the visit of Tony Pulis' promotion chasers.
Alex Pearce was also handed a start in the absence of the suspended Gary Doherty, with Jon Otsemobor also winning back his place at the expense of Juan Velasco, who had been struggling with a thigh injury.
Matty Pattison and Mark Fotheringham were picked in central midfield, with Ryan Bertrand continuing on the left of midfield in the absence of groin injury victim Darren Huckerby.
One surprise was the appearance on the bench of Academy second year scholar Luke Daley. The 18-year-old was making his first appearance in a senior squad after notching four goals in six reserve team starts this season, with the youngster also scoring eight times in 20 matches for the youth team.
He was joined on the bench by Michael Spillane, Ched Evans, Kieran Gibbs and Matthew Gilks.
Before the game Roeder had called for the Canaries to be in Stoke's faces from the kick-off, with the Norwich manager angered by the recent slow starts at Watford and Coventry.
And his players answered the call, with City putting the Potters under pressure from the off with some nice passing moves in the Stoke half. The quick start certainly had the home crowd in good voice from the off, and you suspected the players would need them in a game where the swirling wind looked likely to be an issue for both sides.
Despite their lively beginning, it took until the 12th minute for the Canaries to threaten Carlo Nash's goal.
A great break led by Lee Croft from just outside his own penalty area saw City swarming forward in numbers after Stoke failed to make the most of a corner. The winger got to almost halfway before finding Fotheringham inside.
The Scottish skipper looked up and found Bertrand racing forward on the left, and the on-loan Chelsea man got into the area before curling a shot with his left foot just wide of the far post with the visiting 'keeper scrambling across his line.
Stoke were doing little in the opening stages to show why they were challenging for a place in the Premier League, with their defence looking all at sea at times, a fact epitomised in the 17th minute when Chris Riggott dwelt on the ball inside his area, allowing Cureton to pick his pocket before Nash pounced to snuff-out the danger.
City were continuing to turn the screw, and on 21 minutes Cureton saw a great volley on the turn blocked by the chest of Leon Cort after the little striker had latched onto a Dublin knockdown in the box.
As if the rain wasn't enough to contend with, the rain had also started to lash it down at Carrow Road, conditions you sensed would suit Stoke more than the Canaries as Delap began to see one or two opportunities to show-off his long throw skills.
And the visitors' ability to execute set plays so well almost bore fruit on 27 minutes when Liam Lawrence's corner evaded everyone on the near post and found its way through to the foot of Otsemobor, who inadvertently sent the ball towards his own goal line. Fortunately the 'effort' lacked pace, allowing Marshall to dive on it.
While City had not made their early territorial advantage count with a goal, they continued to enjoy the better of the game, with Croft and Bertrand looking threatening from wide positions. Tellingly though, Nash had yet to be forced into any kind of save.
The former Middlesbrough 'keeper did have to be alert on 41 minutes though, when Cureton latched onto some loose control by Salif Diao on the edge of the area and sent in a curling shot which Nash did well to clutch close to his chest.
Otsemobor saw a shot flash wide late on in the half as City ended the first period ahead on points, if not on goals.
Half time: Norwich City 0-0 Stoke City
There were no changes for either side at the break, with City looking to add goals to the bright build-up play demonstrated in the first half.And in the 48th minute they almost took the lead. Fotheringham was quick to collect possession just outside the box, and he darted inside before sending in a low left foot shot which flashed through a group of players. It had clearly caught Nash unsighted, as he made a right hash of dealing with the shot, almost allowing it to squirm over the line before collecting at the second attempt.
With Stoke still offering little in attack, Pulis changed his attacking options on 52 minutes, replacing Diao with the dangerous Ricardo Fuller.
City almost came unstuck in the 56th minute when Dublin inadvertently got his head to a Fuller flick from Lawrence's corner, only for his goalkeeper to get him out of jail by being in the right place at the right time.
But two minutes later and the Canaries were behind - and predictably the goal came from the long throw of Delap.
Another enormous delivery from the right found the head of Mamady Sidibe on the corner of the six-yard box, and with Marshall seemingly caught in two minds about whether to come or not he found himself in no-man's land, allowing the ball to loop over his head and into the gaping net.
It was harsh on City, who had enjoyed the better chances, but had been undone by Stoke's direct style.
The Canaries were struggling to escape their half somewhat since the goal, and they had some welcome respite on 67 minutes when Otsemobor broke forward and unleashed a shot which whistled a yard over Nash's bar.
City needed to find a spark from somewhere, and on 69 minutes Roeder hoped Ched Evans could provide it, with the Welshman introduced from the bench at the expense of Camara.
This saw Bertrand move to left back, Cureton wide left, with Evans joining Dublin through the middle.
His first contribution was to feel the arm of Lawrence smack bang in the middle of the face in an off the ball incident missed by referee Andy Woolmer, with the teenager left needing treatment as a result.
He dusted himself down though, and a minute later he lashed a left foot shot over the bar after being found by an astute pass from Otsemobor.
Evans had really added a new dimension to City's attack, and on 74 minutes he tested Nash's reflexes with a low stinger of a shot from 20 yards which the 'keeper did well to block at his near post.
Norwich were now pressing for an equaliser, and but for the reactions of Nash they would have got it on 77 minutes. Dublin floated a cross into the box from 35 yards out, which was flicked on by Evans into the path of Cureton.
The striker had to wait for the ball to come down, and as he did Nash charged off his line to block Cureton's fiercely hit volley.
The pressure was beginning to be cranked up on the Stoke rearguard, and a minute later Nash denied them yet again, this time stopping Evans' powerful header on the line after the striker had been found by Croft's pull-back.
City continued to battle, but Stoke were not making it easy for them, snuffing out many of their moves before a killer ball could be produced. Just like Watford, it was far from pretty, but you had to admit it was proving effective.
It was proving a frustrating final few minutes of the game for the Canaries, with the home fans angered as five minutes stoppage time was signalled when Delap was only shown a yellow card for a very late tackle from behind on Evans as he looked to bring the ball out of his own half.
And their luck was summed up when, with the goal gaping, Cureton missed an absolute sitter from no more than three yards out. Fotheringham's corner from the right went straight through the defence and landed invitingly at the feet of the Canaries' leading goalscorer. But, with the goal at his mercy, Cureton only succeeded in stabbing the ball wide of the far post.
It was a killer blow and should really have been the equaliser the Canaries had deserved. But it was not to be, with City well and truly finding themselves back in a relegation fight once again.
Full time: Norwich City 0-1 Stoke City
GOLDEN GOAL: 57:14
Norwich City: Marshall, Otsemobor, Pearce, Shackell, Camara (Evans 69), Croft, Fotheringham (c), Pattison, Bertrand, Dublin, Cureton. Subs not used: Gilks, Gibbs, Spillane, Daley.
Stoke City: Nash, Griffin (c), Cort (Shawcross 82), Lawrence, Cresswell, Sidibe (Gallagher 84), Pugh, Diao (Fuller 52), Delap, Dickinson, Riggott. Subs not used: Simonsen, Wilkinson.
