Southampton climbed into the top six of the Championship after they managed to hold onto a slender lead at St Mary's despite a very nervy finish.
Tonda Eckert made just one change from the team that beat Coventry City on Saturday afternoon. Sam Edozie came in on the left of a 3-man attacking midfield with Cameron Bragg dropping to the bench.
Norwich started the match brightly and had the best of the opening stages. After a couple of weak efforts on goal, Anis Ben Slimane forced Daniel Peretz into action with a fierce shot, which the Saints keeper did well to parry wide.
Paris Maghoma should have been booked for four late challenges in the early stages, the worst of which was on Samuel Edozie in the first five minutes.
Edozie had a good shout for a penalty waved away when he was bundled over inside the box as he waited for a Finn Azaz cross to come down out of the night sky.Â
Edozie had the ball in the back of the net in the 23rd minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside decision against Finn Azaz.
The Republic of Ireland International made up for the offside a minute later when he showed more desire than the Norwich defenders to nick the ball through before finishing high into the left corner of the net.
A long throw-in by James Bree was flicked on by Cyle Larin into an innocuous area on the edge of the box. Finn Azaz had no right to win the ball with two Norwich defenders in good positions to clear the ball.Â
Ruairi McConville was particularly weak in the challenge and pulled out as Azaz put his foot in bravely before firing past the onrushing Vladan Kovacevic in the Norwich goal.
Southampton 1-0 Norwich
Edozie forced Jack Stacey into a late challenge with 10 minutes left of the opening period as the winger marauded down the left wing. Referee Lewis Smith had little option but to book the Norwich City right-back.
A wayward effort from Maghoma sailed high and wide of the Southampton goal and into the Northam stand as the fourth official signalled for two minutes of additional time at the end of the first half.
Half-Time: Southampton 1-0 Norwich
Flynn Downes collected his 10th yellow card of the Championship season after pulling Pelle Mattsson back by his shirt in the centre circle shortly after the second half had got underway.
A swift counter-attack by Southampton resulted in Larin having a powerful shot saved by Kovacevic from a tight angle in the 50th minute.
Peretz fielded a snapshot from Slimane in the 55th minute. The Tunisian's effort from the edge of the box was struck well, but too close to the Southampton goalkeeper.
A fierce dipping shot on the hour from McLean was saved brilliantly to his left by Peretz as Southampton began to tire.
Cameron Bragg came on for Flynn Downes in the 65th minute. With Downes on a yellow card, Tonda Eckert opted to bring him off ahead of Caspar Jander.
Peretz was called into action a couple of minutes later. After parrying Errol Mundle-Smith's well-driven shot back into play, Peretz reacted well to keep out Kellen Fisher's follow-up shot from point-blank range.
Caspar Jander and Sam Edozie were withdrawn with 15 minutes left to play as Shea Charles and Tom Fellows were introduced.
A lovely one-touch move presented Shea Charles with a chance to shoot from a central position just outside the penalty area. His low shot lacked pace but was well-placed inside the right upright. But Kovacevic just about managed to turn the ball around the post with the fingertips of his left hand.
Southampton dropped increasingly deeper as the clock ticked down, and they were forced to defend their penalty area as Norwich went direct.
Seven minutes of injury time seemed to come from nowhere, but Southampton managed the time well despite late pressure.
Southampton fans' hearts would have been in their mouths in the seventh minute of added time. A cross from the right was deflected onto the top of his own crossbar by Jack Stephens.
The drama wasn't quite over yet. In the 99th minute, Peretz flew down to his right to keep out a McConville header from very close range.