CITY slumped to their seventh defeat in eight and to the bottom of the Championship table after losing 2-0 against promotion chasing West Brom at The Hawthorns.
And, in truth, it was a scoreline which flattered the away side more than the Baggies, with only heroics from goalkeeper David Marshall and at least three goal-line clearances denying Tony Mowbray's side a rout.
In the end, headed goals from Ishmael Miller and Kevin Phillips either side of the break were enough for West Brom to record an all-too comfortable win.
Home 'keeper Dean Kiely was criminally under-worked by the shot-shy Canaries, with Jamie Cureton and Chris Martin offering little in the final third, although they had little to feed-off in all fairness.
So, it was another bleak away day for the travelling support, with the result leaving the City board under increasing pressure to find a full-time successor to Peter Grant capable of turning things around.
Caretaker manager Jim Duffy handed Jimmy Smith his first start of the season in midfield alongside Darel Russell. With Chris Brown out through illness, his namesake Martin was given a chance to impress alongside Jamie Cureton, making a return to the side after injury.
Simon Lappin looked set to go in at left-back, with Spillane joining Russell and Smith in a midfield three, with Huckerby, Martin and Cureton in attack.
West Brom, flying high in the Championship table, named just one change from the side which beat Blackpool 2-1 in their last game, with Robert Koren replacing Filipe Teixeira in midfield.
With QPR picking-up an unlikely looking win at Charlton in the lunchtime game, it meant Norwich went into the match rock bottom of the Championship table and needing to turn the form book on its head to pick up anything in the west midlands.
The Canaries won a corner inside the first minute, and even though it was cleared to safety, the home side at least failed to breakaway and take the lead, as had happened at Burnley in midweek.
But in the second minute there was real alarm in the City box after a suicidal cross-field ball from Murray set Albion up on the attack.
And the danger was only cleared after Ishmael Miller saw his shot from the penalty spot deflected over for a corner.
Two minutes later and the in-form striker had another great chance to put the home side in front, surging into the area at an angle before screwing his shot well wide of Marshall's near post.
It was understandably the home side making all the running against the Canaries, low in confidence after racking-up six defeats in their last seven games. And with West Brom operating a shoot-on-sight policy, Greening tried his luck from 20 yards out on seven minutes, only to see his effort flash over the bar.
On 12 minutes Marshall was forced to continue his good form, palming over a long-range effort from Phillips. From the corner, the Scottish international was not so convincing, coming for a cross he had no right to reach, with Albrechtsen heading inches wide at the far post.
Meanwhile City had yet to string together a meaningful attack, with the Baggies dominating the midfield battle and Miller in particular proving to be a real handful for the back four to contain.
But on 16 minutes City's resistance was finally broken. The chance came from Greening's left wing corner, with Bostjan Cesar heading back across goal for Miller to finish from no more than three yards out. There was no doubt the goal had an air of inevitability about it, with the Canaries easily second best for the opening third of the half.
The goal had done little to bring City out of their slumber, with West Brom continuing to call the shots. A throw to Russell on 20 minutes saw the Canaries concede cheap possession once again, this time the move finishing with Phillips bending a shot just wide of the top corner from the edge of the box.
Indeed, Norwich were struggling to keep the ball for longer than 10 seconds at a time, with no respite offered to City's beleaguered defence.
And on 33 minutes Russell had to perform heroics, heading off his own line to deny Robinson's deflected header from another corner.
City's best chance of the game came on 35 minutes, and even that came from a Baggies' mistake as Kiely's clearance rebounded off the back of Cureton, spinning perilously towards his own goal before the 'keeper could recover his ground.
Straight back up the other end and normal service was resumed, with first Shackell having to make a last-gasp challenge on Phillips in the area, with Lappin performing another goal-line clearance after the resulting corner was flicked-on at the near post.
City were having to endure wave after wave of attacks, with Miller flashing another shot over Marshall's under-siege goal on 40 minutes.
The only surprise as the half entered the final five minutes was that City were not more than one goal behind, with only Marshall's solid goalkeeping and some vital last-ditch defending keeping the deficit down.
With the half in stoppage time, City did produce their first meaningful shot of the half - although even this missed the target.
Huckerby took a short corner and pulled the ball back to the edge of the area where Murray was lurking. He connected well with a side-foot volley, but the ball flashed a good couple of yards wide of the under-worked Kiely's left post.
Half time: West Brom 1-0 Norwich City
There were no changes for either side at the break - quite literally as Albion came straight back out on the attack, with Murray missing a near post cross from Hoefkens, only for Shackell to clear-up behind him with Phillips lurking.
But on 50 minutes City almost equalised courtesy of a West Brom boot following a swift break.
Cureton broke the offside trap down the left, and his low cross towards Martin was only cleared into the air by a covering defender, and when the ball went back to Cureton, his second attempt was swiped over his own bar by Robinson.
But less than 30 seconds later and the Baggies doubled their advantage. The chance came from the boot of Miller, who crossed to the far post where the unmarked Phillips stooped to head beyond an exposed Marshall.
It was a killer blow for City, and you just hoped now they didn't roll over and become the victims of a rout.
And on 53 minutes Lappin did well to stop it from becoming three, clearing off the line from Miller's near post header.
City were again chasing shadows, and on 55 minutes Murray entered the referee's notebook for a late challenge on Phillips inside the centre circle.
City's best move of the game came on 57 minutes when Huckerby beat two players on the left before playing a square ball into the path of Martin inside the box.
His drag-back created a shooting chance, but his low effort was blocked by the outstretched leg of a Baggies' defender before it could find the target.
Moments later and a deep cross by Lappin found Smith rising highest 12 yards out, but his downward header was well wide of Kiely's far post.
The ever-dangerous Miller saw another shot saved by Marshall on the hour mark, before Cureton sent a tame half-volley straight at Kiely from 20 yards out after Smith found him with a neat flick-on.
West Brom had taken their foot off the gas somewhat since going into a two goal lead, but they were still making the better chances, and on 73 minutes Marshall produced an excellent save with his legs to deny Phillips in a one-on-one situation.
When Lee Croft was introduced to the fray, City began to offer more bite going forward. But all too often the winger's fine play ended with a cross into the box with just Chris Martin for company.
West Brom seemed content to see the game out, with the Canaries apparently waiting for the final whistle to put them out of their misery.
Full time: West Brom 2-0 Norwich City
West Bromwich Albion: Kiely, Hoefkens, Robinson, Koren, Greening (c), Albrechtsen, Miller (Beattie 77), Phillips, Cesar, Morrison (Gera 60), Brunt (Teixeira 60). Subs: MacDonald, Pele.
Norwich City: Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell (c), Huckerby, Cureton (Croft 76), Murray, Lappin, Smith (Chadwick 80), Russell, Spillane, Martin. Subs: Gilks, Strihavka, Rossi Jarvis
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