GARY Hooper struck in stoppage time to give Norwich City a massive boost in their automatic promotion chase – and inflict another late kick in the teeth on Wanderers.

The former Celtic striker, who had been Neil Lennon’s chief goal-scoring weapon during his time at Parkhead, produced a 92nd minute winner for the Canaries, making it 12 points thrown away in injury time for the Whites this season.

The game itself had been a relatively even and open affair, Graham Dorrans’ early deflected free-kick quickly levelled up by Adam Le Fondre.

Norwich – unbeaten on the road since December in the league - spent the early exchanges encamped in Wanderers’ territory.

They took lead in slightly fortuitous circumstances, however, when Josh Vela conceded a free kick on the edge of the box, fired into the net by Graham Dorrans’ via a massive deflection off the edge of the defensive wall.

Sebastien Bassong headed just over the bar from Nathan Redmond’s corner and Jonny Howson then brought a good save out of Adam Bogdan with a stinging half volley – it started to look like being a long afternoon for the Whites.

Yet moments later they were level. Out of virtually nowhere Tom Walker whipped in a tempting cross from the left, gobbled up by Le Fondre, who had got ahead of marker Russell Martin to score his sixth of the season.

Playing as a wing-back, Academy graduate Walker had a good first half, finding Liam Feeney with another good cross a few moments later, the right wing-back poking his shot narrowly wide.

The same pair combined on 33 minutes – Martin getting the slightest touch on his clearance to take the ball away from Feeney at the far post.

Though Norwich started to feel their way back into the game before the break, Jerome bringing a decent low save from Bogdan, their early dominance had evaporated. The tone of Lennon’s half-time team talk will have been much less scathing than you feared it might be at one point.

Wanderers continued to look in control after the restart, Le Fondre nearly grabbed a second, seeing a looping header cleared off the line by Alex Tettey when Walker’s cross bounced dangerously in the Norwich area.

Knowing three points was a must in their own automatic promotion chase, Norwich switched to a two-man attack.

Dorrans went close to restoring the lead when his angled shot was blocked by Tim Ream on the line, then snatched gratefully by Bogdan.

It was proving a delightfully open game – but then Wanderers could afford to be relaxed. Le Fondre nearly caught John Ruddy off his line then Barry Bannan tried his luck with a shot on the turn which curled just round the post.

Howson signalled Norwich’s serious intent, lifting a shot just over the bar 15 minutes before the end, and 2,000-plus visiting fans were screaming for a penalty when Dean Moxey blocked Martin’s cross from the right only for ref James Adcock to wave their appeals away.

Lennon brought on Neil Danns to help shore things up for the final 10 minutes, replacing Eidur Gudjohnsen – who had been quiet – but Norwich were out of ideas well before the end.

Wanderers nearly stole all three points when Bannan set Le Fondre in on goal, then galloped 50 yards to collect a return pass which unfortunately never materialised.

Referee Adcock booked Moxey in the 90th minute for time-wasting and then marched towards the touchline to speak with a remonstrating Lennon, who had prowled out of his technical area in a rage.

That sparked the atmosphere for five minutes of added time – always a dangerous sentence for Wanderers, and once again the worst happened.

Hooper had been almost invisible after stepping off the bench in the second half, ran on to a long ball and dinked his shot over the on-rushing Bogdan in front of the travelling fans.

Grabban should have made it three when Ream and Dervite got themselves in an almighty tangle near the half way line but Bogdan bailed them out.

It was a familiar feeling for Lennon as he turned away disgusted after the final whistle – his side once again proving they cannot work overtime.