A FIRST-HALF brace from Orient's Sean Thornton was enough for the Londoners to take all three points in a tight and edgy game at the Matchroom Stadium.
Thornton's goals sandwiched Korey Smith's great strike for the league leaders, but with both Chris Martin and Anthony McNamee denied by the woodwork it was the O's who celebrated an important win which boosts their hopes of avoiding relegation.
After the game City boss Paul Lambert told First News: "No, we never got going. We never got on the front foot and we lost two really bad goals.
"That's the worst we've been for a while but we have to pick ourselves up and go again. We've still got a really good lead with four games to go, so we just need to dust ourselves down and get on with it again, starting on Saturday at Charlton."
Lambert was forced to make changes to his starting line-up, with Stephen Elliott and Oli Johnson coming in for the absent Grant Holt (suspended) and Wes Hoolahan (thigh).
City's huge travelling support were stunned when Orient took the lead after only three minutes. Scott McGleish's knock-down was chested down well by Sean Thornton before he rounded Fraser Forster and slid the ball in from an angle to put the home side in front.
But the Canaries didn't lose their heads and got themselves back on level terms thanks to a quality equaliser in the 19th minute. It came when Chris Martin played the ball in to the feet of Elliott and he laid it off superbly for Korey Smith to find the corner of the net with a well-placed 22-yard effort.
They nearly edged in front seven minutes later when Chris Martin picked up Drury's throw-in and tried his luck with a speculative effort from 30 yards which left O's 'keeper Jones stranded, but agonisingly bounced to safety off the foot of the far post.
Just when it seemed they were taking control of the game, Orient took the lead thanks to some slack defending from the visitors. As Daniels floated a free-kick into the box the City back line were caught in no-man's land and Sean Thornton slipped in behind them to head home the easiest of goals from close range - his second of the match.
Lambert didn't make any changes at the break as the Canaries looked to force their way back on to level terms. In the 54th minute Jimmy Smith was booked for pulling back Johnson as the City striker threatened to surge into the Orient box.
At the other end a neat move by the home side ended with Spicer's shot deflecting behind for a corner off the out-stretched leg of Michael Nelson.
Chris Martin was booked in the 63rd minute as he disputed a free-kick award with referee Graham Scott and within a couple of minutes Orient's Lichaj joined him in the ref's notebook for time-wasting when taking a throw-in.
Five minutes later Lambert made his first change of the evening in an effort to freshen up City's mis-firing attack, Anthony McNamee coming on for the hard-working Simon Lappin.
But Norwich were still failing to test Jones in the Orient goal and after Thornton was only denied a hat-trick by a finger-tip save from Forster, Lambert reacted by making a double substitution - Cody McDonald coming on for Elliott and Stephen Hughes replacing Johnson.
And Hughes nearly made an immediate impact, smashing Doherty's neat header into his path goalwards in the 81st minute, only for Jones to make a diving reaction save to beat the shot out.
With Norwich throwing men forward they were nearly caught on the break when Chambers burst through on the halfway line but his run was checked by Drury - a challenge which earned the City full-back a yellow card.
As the game entered injury time Anthony McNamee cut in from the left and then curled a delightful 22-yard effort which beat Jones all ends up but crashed against the far post and away to safety.
Full-time: Orient 2 City 1
90+3: Drury fouled by Pires - City free-kick about 25-yards out. Chris Martin takes but it's blocked. Russell curls it back in but in a mass of bodies Jones collects.
90+2: Russell booked for foul on far side.
90+1: Anthony McNamee's cross beats Jones but not the woodwork and is cleared away.
90th: Four minutes of additional time have been added.
88th: Corner won by Doherty. McNamee takes from left but it's an easy collect by Jones.
85th: Ryan Jarvis replaced by Loick Pires for Orient.
83rd: Drury booked after bringing down Adam Chambers.
81st: Hughes forces Jones into a good save. Doherty setting up the Scot.
78th: Elliott replaced by McDonald. Stephen Hughes on for Oli Johnson. Gary Doherty pushed up front.
77th: Thornton shoots on the turn and forces Forster into another good save.
76th: Charlie Daniels allowed to run into the Canaries' box but a good save by Forster.
74th: 7,520 here tonight - 3,038 of those Canary fans.
71st: Elliott with a shot well-wide of Jamie Jones' far post
70th: McNamee and Drury attack down the left but it's broken down.
68th: Simon Lappin replaced by Anthony McNamee.
67th: Charlie Daniels wins a corner off R. Martin. Corner comes in from left which Forster punches clear.
65th: Lichaj booked for time-wasting, was taking far too long for the referee's liking to take a throw-in on far right.
63rd: Chris Martin booked possibly for not retreating quick enough from a free-kick.
61st: Drury with free-kick from half-way, but the O's clear their lines.
59th: Jones palms away a Lappin corner after good work on the right from Chris Martin wins City the corner.
58th: Both Johnson and Eliott trying to get hold of the ball on the edge of the O's box - nothing quite coming off for the Canaries at the moment.
56th: Orient win a corner, Nelson blocking a Spicer shot after the homeside broke down the left.
54th: Jimmy Smith booked after clipping Oli Johnson - the young Canary striker robbing him of possession and as he broke free Smith brought him down.
52nd: McGleish with an attempt but wide of Forster's post.
50th: Leeds have just retaken the lead at Carlisle.
Lappin wins the ball on the left and finds Russell but the midfielder's ball is a poor one into the box and it goes out for a goal-kick.
47th: Lappin with a great cross from the left looking for Chris Martin but it's just too strong for the striker. Good move.
The Canaries kick-off the second half here at the Matchroom Stadium. No changes for either side at the break.
'Hmm, must do better 2nd half, that sounded nowhere near good enough, and with Millwall and Leeds dropping points in games that on paper are tougher than ours, we have a real chance to all but seal it tonight!' - IMT
Half-time: Orient 2 City 1
45+1: Martin clipped, another free-kick this time taken by Darel Russell. His ball looks for Doherty at far post but the defender heads over.
45th: City free-kick which Lappin delivers into the box it's headed down but Orient clear. Two minutes additional time.
44th: Ryan Jarvis with shot from edge of area.
42nd: Stephen Elliott goes down in the box but referee Graham Scott carries on with play.
40th: Doherty with important interception as ball put across the Norwich goal, concedes a corner. It's initially cleared but ball comes back down the right and Russell adjudged to have fouled on edge of box. Charlie Daniels pus his delivery straight at Forster.
36th: Chris Martin wins a corner. Ball comes in from Lappin and Orient clear. Johnson tried to gather but couldn't quite dig it out.
'Easy to say with us being 2-1 down but has Lambert taken to big a gamble playing 3 up front away from home given our recent form?' - hadeeze
33rd: Darel Russell with long-range drive but it curls well-wide of the goal.
30th: Oli Johnson booked, looks like for dissent.
29th: Orient retake the lead. Charlie Daniels with free-kick midway in City's half,the ball comes in and Thornton heads home.
28th; Update from other games - Leeds are 1-0 up at Carlile and Millwall 1-0 down at Yeovil.
26th: Drury with throw-in to Chris Martin who tries a lobbed effort which hit the foot of the post with Jones beaten.
23rd: Doherty finds Chris Martin who touches on for Elliott in the Orient box, but the striker can't quite gather - good move.
22nd: Thornton with effort just outside City's box but it's well-wide of Forster's post.
'Sounded a corker!' - hadeeze
19th: Great goal by Korey Smith from about 22-yards out. Elliott layed the ball off for the midfielder to place his shot past Jones.
16th: Great run down the left for Orient by the left-back and a great ball into the box but Forster makes an important catch.
15th: Russell long-range effort well blocked and Nelson looks to follow up but his pass is too strong and goes out for goal-kick.
14th: Orient break but Forster gathers and the Canaries break - Johnson and Elliott combining in Orient box but the on-loan striker's shot is blocked.
13th: Ball forward to Chris Martin who manages to flick on to Elliott but the defender just manages to muscle the ball away.
7th: A bright start by Orient but City in possession far right.
'*cough cough* i mean 4-1' - ankles50
3rd: Orient take the lead. A lofted ball into the box by McGleish is controlled on his chest by Sean Thornton and he takes it beyond Forster and taps it into the net.
2nd: City in possession, ball comes in from the left looking for Elliott but it's just over his head and drifts out wide.
'Attacking formation, 4-0 win, easy peasy' - ankles50
Orient kick-off the game - come on City!
The teams have come out and City are in their away strip of all-white.
Team News:
Three changes to Saturday's line-up against MK Dons - Stephen Elliott and Oli Johnson start and Fraser Forster returns to goal after his two-game suspension.
Declan Rudd and Anthony McNamee drop to the bench. Skipper Grant Holt has travelled with the team and will watch from the stands after his booking on Saturday resulted in a two-game suspension.
Wes Hoolahan would seem not to have recovered from a thigh injury that has seen him miss the previous two matches.
Former Canaries Ryan Jarvis and Jimmy Smith are in the O's starting line-up.
We're literally up in the gods here at the Matchroom Stadium. The press box is situated high in the West Stand, opposite the oldest part of the ground on Brisbane Road where the Norwich fans are.
The 3,000 Canary fans fill the stand and inflatable balls, bananas and a mobile phone are bobbing about over there!
In each corner of the ground are new flats and there looks like there is a keen slope running from left to right. But it's a lovely sunny evening for a football game, so come on you Yellows!
CITY: Forster, Drury, Nelson, R. Martin, Elliott (McDonald 78), Doherty (c), C. Martin, Lappin (McNamee 68), Russell, Smith, Johnson (Hughes 78). Subs not used: Gill, Rudd, Spillane, Rose.
ORIENT: Jones, Chorley, Mkandawire (c), Chambers, McGleish, Thornton, Daniels, Jarvis (Pires 85), Spicer, Smith, Lichaj. Subs not used: Morris (GK), Purches, Ashworth, Demetriou, Baker, Patulea.
