A STUNNING goal by Darel Russell in the 90th minute saw the Canaries cut down Preston and continue their drive away from the bottom three.
In a game low on quality, the Canaries certainly saved the best until last, with the midfielder striking a 20-yard half volley into the bottom corner with just seconds of the game left.
It had looked like being another frustrating afternoon for City, with the home side creating few genuine chances to score from.
And in the end it took something out of the blue to beat Alan Irvine's battling side, with City stretching their unbeaten league run to 11 games.
City boss Glenn Roeder named the same side which started the 1-0 win at Southampton in midweek. Skipper Mark Fotheringham had recovered from the dead leg which saw him limp off at St Mary's, a retook his place in the heart of midfield alongside Darel Russell.
Of considerable surprise though was the absence of Darren Huckerby from the squad altogether.
Recent loan arrivals James Henry and Matthew Bates made it onto the bench, but there was no room in the final 16 for Kieran Gibbs or Alex Pearce.
Preston had their own suspension worries, with former Canary Chris Brown missing out through suspension following his red card picked-up against West Brom on Tuesday night.
Midfielder Chris Sedgwick was also serving a ban, along with defender Youl Mawene.
City kicked off the match knowing any kind of win would put them eight points clear of the bottom three - a prospect seemingly unthinkable just three months ago when the Canaries were marooned at the foot of the division.
It was the visitors who started the brighter, with Camara needing to be alert to nick the ball off the toes of McKenna in the box after the Preston captain found space on the right.
Indeed, the Canaries failed to muster a shot on goal at all inside a scrappy first 10 minutes, with the Lillywhites Karl Hawley fizzing a 30-yard effort just over Marshall's bar.
But a minute later and Evans did register City's first attempt of the game, firing into the side-netting from just inside the area after Russell had found him.
Preston were giving the Canaries very little time on the ball, with the visitors themselves enjoying a mini-revival of late.
But as the game approached the 15 minute mark City began to show signs their passing game was beginning to click into gear, with Fotheringham producing a delightful back-heel to find Croft in the area, with Sean St Leger forced to clear for a corner which came to nothing.
The game was crying out for some quality, with old-head Dublin looking to give his team mates plenty of encouragement, at times resembling the conductor of a symphony orchestra as he waved his arms to gee-up his colleagues.
Referee Jarnail Sing was hardly helping the flow of the game with some fussy decision making at times, with the Carrow Road crowd given little to get excited about so far.
By now Roeder had made his way from the directors' box to the touchline as he looked to take a more direct role in lifting his side's display so far.
With the game a real six-pointer for both sides, you began to wonder if nerves were getting the better of the players, with neither side seemingly capable of keeping the ball for longer than two or three passes.
And the first half was summed-up two minutes before the break when Evans sent a header straight at 'keeper Andy Lonergan from 12 yards out after being found by Russell's cross.
Half time: Norwich City 0-0 Preston
There were no changes at the break, although City boss Roeder was presumably hoping for more from his shot-shy charges as the sides returned to the pitch for the second half.
And on 48 minutes Evans won the first corner of the second period, his left foot shot taking a deflection on its way over the bar.
From the resulting corner Shackell almost bundled the ball into the net, with Preston needing some desperate defending as the ball bobbled around in the penalty area before Dublin sent a miscued effort wide.
Two minutes later and 'keeper Lonergan had to get down low to clutch a raking shot from Russell close to his chest after Dublin had teed-him up 25-yards from goal.
The second half had already seen more efforts on goal by Norwich than the entire first 45, as City chased a goal to warm the fans on a chilly February afternoon in Norfolk.
Otsemobor's slip was almost punished on 53 minutes, with Mellor picking his pocket, only for Marshall to be quick off his line and grab the ball at the striker's feet.
It was the right-back's final moment in the game, as two minutes later Matthew Bates made his home debut after signing on loan from Middlesbrough on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old's first contribution was to overlap past Croft on the right before sending in a deep cross which had to be cleared for a corner with Dublin lurking.
City had certainly raised their game and were posing more of a threat at last, with Camara and Bertrand starting to link-up to better effect in particular.
But on the hour mark the latter was guilty of a glaring miss.
Fotheringham stole the ball off substitute Matt Hill just inside the box and rolled a perfect ball across the six-yard box for the on-loan Chelsea teenager.
But, under pressure, the 18-year-old could only blaze the ball high over the bar and into the Norwich and Peterborough Stand. The expression on his face said it all as he lay on the deck reflecting on the chance. He should have scored.
With City needing a goal, the Canaries' leading goalscorer, Jamie Cureton, was introduced to the game on 73 minutes at the expense of the hard-working Evans.
And a minute after coming on the 32-year-old drew an outstanding save from Lonergan.
Croft fizzed a ball into Cureton's path, and the former Colchester man produced a sublime first touch to take the ball away from the last defender. From just outside the six-yard box at an angle he thrashed in a ferocious shot, with the Preston 'keeper showing strong wrists to turn it away to safety.
With the game entering the final 10 minutes, Roeder granted another of his recent loan signings his City debut, with James Henry replacing Croft on the right.
And on 86 minutes City came as close as they had all game to scoring, with Doherty looping Fotheringham's corner onto the top of the bar from 10 yards out.
Any goal now would have been crucial, and on 87 minutes only a good stop by Marshall prevented it from going to Preston.
Substitute Ormerod broke the offside trap, but as he got to the corner of the six-yard box out came the City stopper to block his shot with an outstretched leg.
It was then Cureton's turn to break through at the other end as the game entered stoppage time, again forcing Lonergan to block at his near post, this time at the expense of a corner.
Shackell then saw a header blocked on the line from Fotheringham's kick. And just as all seemed lost, Russell grabbed an unlikely winner in spectacular style.
The goal was created by a route-one punt downfield, but there was nothing basic about the midfielder's finish. He took Dublin's knock down from Marshall's long kick in his stride, and turned to unleash a fearsome volley which flew past Lonergan and into the right corner of his net.
Carrow Road erupted, with Russell taking the acclaim, bowing to the Carrow Road crowd. There had not been too much quality in the game, but when it came, it had been worth the wait.
Full time: Norwich City 1-0 Preston
Norwich City: Marshall, Otsemobor (Bates 55), Shackell, Croft, Dublin (Henry 81), Fotheringham (C), Camara, Russell, Bertrand, Doherty, Evans (Cureton 73). Subs not used: Gilks, Pattison.
Preston North End: Lonergan, Davidson (Hill 23), Hawley, Carter, St Leger, Chilvers, Whaley, McKenna (C), Jones, Neal (Chaplow 82), Mellor (Ormerod 71). Subs not used: Neal, Trotman
Can't make the game? Get live commentary straight to your PC through CanariesWorld. Click here for details.
