THREE first half defensive blunders cost City at Selhurst Park as their winless streak at Crystal Palace continued.
City were well in control and should have been at least two goals to the good inside the first 20 minutes against the Eagles.
But two goals in the space of four minutes - the first coming from lapse defending at a corner and the second after Doherty gifted possession in his own half - did for Norwich as Palace scored with their first two meaningful attacks.
First Mark Hudson headed home on the line, and with Norwich still reeling from the shock of conceding, Shefki Kuqi added a second following Doherty's error.
A penalty from Robert Earnshaw - his 17th of the season - on 44 minutes seemed to have pulled Norwich back into the game.
But moments later City's rearguard pressed the self-destruct button once again, Jason Shackell failing to cut out a simple punt upfield, allowing Stuart Green to smash home.
Norwich continued to play the better football in the second half, but rarely troubled Flinders' as often as the first period, with substitute Lee Croft forcing him into his only major save.
All in all it was another miserable trip to Selhurst Park, although it could have been so much better had Norwich taken their chances in the opening spells.
City boss Peter Grant rang the changes for the visit to Selhurst Park, with the manager also reverting to a 4-5-1 formation.
Dion Dublin and Lee Croft were rested and given places on the bench, with Andy Hughes and Carl Robinson restored to the midfield, leaving Robert Earnshaw to plough a lone furrow in attack.
For the home side, influential defender Leon Cort returned to the side following a two-month absence through injury with former Ipswich man Shefki Kuqi and Dougie Freedman forming the attack
City kicked off the match looking to build on the three points gathered against QPR on Saturday, but to do so they would have to end a 10-year winless run at Selhurst Park.
And the Canaries should really have been in front inside the third minute.
Adam Drury's low cross from the left was deflected and looked simple enough for 'keeper Scott Flinders to come out and gather.
But the former England youth star dawdled, allowing Earnshaw to reach it first. And although the Welshman rounded Flinders, he turned his shot from an angle wide of the near post with the goal gaping.
It had been a bright start by the visitors, and less than two minutes later Earnshaw had another clear sight of goal.
Safri headed a clearance back into the box, and the Palace rearguard were slow to react, with Earnshaw showing good reactions to get his shot away from 12 yards out. Unfortunately, it was straight at Flinders who was able to gather comfortably.
The best opportunities continue to fall to City as the game passed the 10-minute mark, with Doherty looping a header just over Flinders' bar after connecting with Huckerby's ball from the left.
But two minutes later they came within a whisker of finally grabbing the lead their play deserved as Huckerby struck the crossbar.
Some nice build-up play finished with Robinson sliding a great ball into Huckerby in the area. His turn left Palace defender Lawrence on his backside, and he unleashed a fierce shot from an angle which crashed off the underside of Flinders' bar before being hacked clear.
And so began a 90 second period when City could have scored twice more. First Huckerby saw a low shot pushed away by Flinders before Doherty then sent a header straight at the home 'keeper when he might have done better unmarked from six yards out.
Your only fear was that City might be made to pay for their missed chances after such a bright opening.
City were continuing to boss the match, with Palace reduced to breakaway attacks and Gallacher limited to collecting long balls.
Another bright spell from Norwich on 20 minutes saw Flinders again called into action, doing well to hold a curling shot from Robinson from 25-yards out. The young 'keeper then showed good reactions to fist the ball away from the head of Drury as he almost connected with a Huckerby cross which came from a move involving more than 15 passes.
Palace were standing up to the pressure well, and on 25 minutes their defence did well to block a goal-bound shot from Shackell after Huckerby found him with a short corner.
But then against the run of play on 26 minutes, Palace took the lead.
Green's corner into the box was not dealt with properly, and after Leon Cort had headed back across goal, Mark Hudson rose above the Norwich defence to nod into the net.
It was a real sucker-punch for City, who had been well on top so far without making their chances or possession count.
And it was to get worse for Norwich, as Palace doubled their lead three minutes later.
It came from a horrible mistake from Doherty, as he gifted the ball to Kuqi just inside his own half.
The former Ipswich man quickly found Freedman, and with the City defence back-peddling furiously the Scotsman returned the ball to the unmarked Finland striker who lashed a shot over the advancing Gallacher.
If Norwich had been stunned by the first goal, the second was a real bolt from the blue, with the Canaries now desperately chasing a match they had been well in control of for the opening 20 minutes.
On 34 minutes Michael Hughes became the first name in referee Boyeson's notebook for hacking down Safri just inside the centre circle, possibly retribution for an earlier challenge which saw the Moroccan manhandle the former Wimbledon man to the ground.
But in the final minute of the half City finally found a way back into the match via the penalty spot.
Huckerby won a free kick away on the left after being dragged down by Kuqi.
Safri hit a dipping free kick into the box which was met by the head of Robinson. His effort clearly struck home captain Carl Fletcher on the hand, and up stepped Earnshaw to claim his 17th goal of the season via the underside of the bar.
But just as Norwich looked to be going into the break just one goal in arrears, City's defence again contrived to commit football suicide.
A simple ball over the top was completely missed by Shackell, allowing Kuqi to run in behind him.
With the City rearguard all over the place, Kuqi rolled a simple pass into the path of Stuart Green, who blasted over Gallacher and into the roof of the net to make it 3-1.
It was virtually the last action of the half with City's travelling support still wondering how their side were 3-1 down in a game they had bossed for large portions.
Half time: Crystal Palace 3-1 Norwich City
Palace made a change as the second half kicked off, with Jobi McAnuff replacing Marco Reich.
And seven minutes later Grant followed suit, bringing on Dublin for Robinson and switching to 4-4-2 to give City more punch in attack.
And the change almost reaped instant rewards. Dublin controlled a high ball away on the right before producing an excellent drilled cross along the six-yard box.
Earnshaw came charging in and it looked a goal all the way, but Hudson did well to poke out a foot and divert the ball behind, with the referee adding to Earnshaw's frustrations by awarding a goal kick.
On 58 minutes Palace almost added a fourth goal. Substitute McAnuff went on a positive run down the right before hitting a great cross into the box. Cort met it with a diving header, which sailed less than a yard over Gallacher's bar.
A minute later Andy Hughes' afternoon came to an end, replaced by Lee Croft as City continued to search for a way back into the match.
On 61 minutes Palace should really have put the game well beyond Norwich.
Kuqi's run down the right draw City's defence across the pitch leaving a gaping hole in the heart of their defence.
The big striker looked up and found the onrushing Hughes, who seemed to have all the time in the world to pick his spot.
But Doherty had other ideas, sprinting across to make a goal-saving tackle at the expense of only a corner.
With 25 minutes of the game remaining, Dublin came close to grabbing a second for Norwich.
Croft found him with a low cross into the area, and Dublin flicked the ball airborne before launching a volley towards goal which almost shaved Flinders' left post.
The game was undoubtedly slipping away for City, who were unable to find the second goal to give them hope of an equaliser.
But on 76 minutes only a fine stop from Flinders prevented City from doubling their tally.
A strong run from Colin took him deep into the opposition half, and he produced a defence splitting ball into Croft's path in the area.
But the winger was just unable to lift his shot over Flinders, with the 'keeper blocking well with his legs and the ball bouncing clear to safety.
On 80 minutes Croft became the provider, this time lifting a cross onto the head of Earnshaw, who could only send a dipping effort over the bar.
Huckerby's delivery had let him down for much of the afternoon, and again on 84 minutes a pass into the box found a red shirt rather than a Canary player after Flinders' poor kick landed straight at his feet.
And in the final moments Kuqi almost added a fourth with a diving header which flashed just wide of the far post.
Full time: Crystal Palace 3-1 Norwich City
Crystal Palace: Flinders, Lawrence, Ward, Hudson, Cort, Freedman (Morrison 73), Hughes, Reich (McAnuff 46), Fletcher (c), Green, Kuqi. Subs: Scowcroft, Kennedy, Wilkinson.Norwich City: Gallacher, Drury (c), Shackell, Huckerby, Earnshaw, Safri (Thorne 90), Hughes (Croft 59), Etuhu, Colin, Doherty, Robinson (Dublin 53). Subs: McVeigh, Lewis.
