A goal in the last minute of extra time ensured the Canaries maintained their hold on the second automatic promotion place, reports Mark Burchett and John Maiden.
City didn't quite reproduce the fast flowing football they displayed when they thrashed their local rivals Ipswich 5-1 last Thursday, but nevertheless and yet again they kept going to the very last kick of the game to take the three vital points.
Simeon Jackson scored the first goal of the game just before half-time, although it didn't take Nigel Clough's men long to equalise in the second half through Steve Davies. Jackson restored City's lead with the goal of the game, but yet again the Rams pegged them back with Alberto Buenos's long range effort.
And Jackson completed his second hat-trick of the season bundling the ball home in the 96th minute!
Paul Lambert had the luxury of naming an unchanged starting line up and only made one change to his bench. With Wolves having recalled Sam Vokes from his loan, it meant their was a place for the fit-again Chris Martin.
Norwich kicked off attacking the river end goal and forced a corner inside the first minute.
After six minutes Simeon Jackson did well to get on the end of Zak Whitbread's long clearance, but fired over.
In the eighteenth minute the in-form City striker gave a hint of what was to come when he forced the Derby keeper to tip his fierce angled drive over the bar.
The Rams began to see more of the ball a the first half progressed, but in the forty-fifth minute Jackson opened the scoring. Grant Holt found Marc Tierney with a quickly taken throw-in on the left wing and when the City left back whipped in a well directed cross Jackson beat Brad Jones with a powerful header.
HALF-TIME: City 1 County 0
It looked as if the three points were as good as won, but nine minutes into the second half Buenos's left wing cross was headed past John Ruddy by Davies.
Within minutes the injured Zak Whitbread was forced to make way for Rob Edwards, after the officials had created confusion in the Norwich ranks by allowing Derby to take a throw-in after the fourth official had signalled for the substitution to go ahead.
On the hour Jackson put the Canaries ahead for the second time with an exquisite chip when Holt laid the ball off to him on the edge of the Derby penalty area.
It was a goal worthy of winning any match, but the visitors struck back three minutes later when Buenos's low left-foot shot from some twenty-five yards beat Ruddy as a made a desperate dive to his left.
Derby players, led by their captain, Robbie Savage, defended stubbornly and wasted time at every opportunity, especially when substitutions were being made.
Therefore, it seemed fitting that the winning goal came for Norwich in the last minute of the five added on by referee Andy Haines. It was equally fitting that the goal was scored by Jackson to complete a thoroughly deserved hat-trick.
It came about when Russell Martin's powerful shot was blocked on the line, but hit Jackson and rebounded into the goal to produce one of the loudest celebrations seen at Carrow Road in recent years - even the Radio Norfolk commentary team admitted to being caught up in the emotional outpouring that greeted the winning goal and the final whistle, just seconds later!
FULL-TIME: City 3 County 2