IT would be a shame if talk of an Irish consortium investing in Wanderers proved to be a load of Blarney – Neil Lennon could use a top-up of luck.

Unless there is a major injection of cash from elsewhere this summer, the Whites boss is never going to be able to conduct the kind of demolition job he was contemplating while trudging back towards the tunnel on Saturday afternoon.

For the seventh time in 10 weeks, he had watched as his defence was breached in injury time – Norwich joining Wolves, Liverpool, Watford, Reading, Blackburn and Wigan in a not-so-exclusive club.

Putting aside the fact it was his ex-Celtic charge Gary Hooper who did the damage, the number of points lost to Wanderers’ inability to see a game to its conclusion is now in double figures.

Little wonder, then, that Lennon’s patience had evaporated by the time he emerged from the dressing room.

“Sometimes you lose the energy to keep working with them because they keep making the same mistakes,” he seethed.

“I am going to have to make changes, there is no question about that.

“It was criminal defending from our point of view and it’s happening far too often.”

Up to the 92nd minute this had been a relatively pleasing afternoon. Wanderers had dragged themselves back into the game, Adam Le Fondre equalising Graham Dorrans’ early free kick, and had just about shaded the second half as Barry Bannan and Josh Vela became more influential.

Norwich had thrown on all three senior strikers in a desperate move to make something happen but they looked fresh out of ideas until a long ball was flicked on by Cameron Jerome and then lobbed over the onrushing Adam Bogdan by Hooper.

The Macron fell silent but for the sound of the 2,100 Canaries fans descending into utter delirium.

Lennon was critical of his side’s defending – and you would have to question why Dean Moxey or Dorian Dervite were not covering Tim Ream when he went up for that crucial header with Jerome.

But it is also fair say that there were a number of other factors that contributed to Wanderers’ downfall.

Both Adam Bogdan and Dean Moxey were guilty of dawdling towards the end of normal time, the latter booked for over-thinking a throw, prompting a rather generous five minutes on the fourth official’s board.

Tactically, questions have also been asked of Lennon’s back three – missing a bit of physicality without the injured Matt Mills and David Wheater or Paddy McCarthy, who is presumably being rested for tomorrow’s game against Charlton.

Ream performed well in a sweeper role as Wanderers were stretched to the limit early on, Norwich pressing high up the pitch in the opening 15 minutes and getting a goal for their efforts.

A rash challenge from Vela on Nathan Redmond had presented Dorrans with a free kick on the edge of the box, his shot clipping Tom Walker to leave Bogdan flat-footed as the ball bounced into the net.

Jonny Howson and Sebastien Bassong had chances to extend the lead as Lennon’s side struggled to get out of their own penalty area, playing some high risk stuff in unnecessary areas of the pitch.

Out of nowhere, the Whites drew themselves level. Walker turned well on the left past Steven Whittaker and produced a sumptuous cross for Le Fondre, who had nipped ahead of Bassong to score his sixth of the season.

Walker was certainly the bright point for Wanderers in a bitty first half – his delivery creating a couple of chances for opposite wing-back Liam Feeney. But the sloppiness in possession continued and a mix-up at the back presented a chance to Jerome just before the break, saved well by Bogdan.

It got tidier after the break, Bannan coming into his own again and Vela also picking up after a hesitant first half.

Le Fondre looked hungry for more, seeing one looping header cleared off the line by Alex Tettey and nearly catching John Ruddy off his line with another typical piece of opportunism.

He had to apologise to team-mate Bannan a few moments later, however, when a poor final ball prevented the midfielder from getting a clear run on goal.

Knowing three points was a must to remain in the automatic promotion places, Norwich threw on Hooper and Grabban. Lennon responded by bringing on Neil Danns for Eidur Gudjohnsen and moving Vela to right-back.

It was a move undoubtedly designed to see the game out and secure a point.

And Lennon had every right to batten down the hatches.

His defence was facing a trio of strikers worth more than £10million in transfer fees.

Mark Davies had been stripped, ready to come on for his return to first-team action, but the Whites boss clearly thought better of it.

Those crucial extra minutes of added time might just have been extended when referee James Adcock first marched over to the touchline to book Moxey, then to the dugout to admonish Lennon for coming out of his technical area.

All of a sudden Wanderers were facing five minutes – and an uneasy murmur circulated around the stadium.

Just a few minutes on, the only thing that could be heard were hoards of Norwich fans screaming with delight as their automatic promotion push gained new life.

As the ball bounced into the net Lennon turned in disgust towards the bench – his own Groundhog Day moment.

The Northern Irishman may well feel he needs to make major changes but without any serious financial muscle, talk is cheap.

The end of the season cannot come quick enough.