JABBING a finger first at his watch and then the officials, David Moyes was a figure of fury as he rushed on to the Carrow Road pitch.

Yet the Everton manager’s berating of the extra injury period wasn’t the only concern to linger long after his side had somehow contrived to snatch damaging defeat from the jaws of a much-needed victory on Saturday.

Timing is everything. And, at precisely the wrong moment, the Goodison outfit’s season is in danger of unravelling.

Certainly, the disgruntled supporters who descended upon the phone-ins and myriad forums to make clear their anger are aware Everton are now entering a potentially decisive few weeks in both the short and long-term future of the club.

One defeat in isolation isn’t enough to prompt such a reaction, particularly when Moyes did have a legitimate claim the clock was tweaked in favour of Norwich’s pursuit of an unlikely winner.

The bigger picture, though, suggests worries are not misplaced. The hope of the Everton board that the failure to recruit from a position of strength in January does not come back to haunt them already appears a forlorn one.

Saturday’s game turned on the half-time introduction of Norwich substitute Kei Kamara, a Sierra Leone international striker signed on a short-term loan from MLS side Kansas City.

It’s exactly the kind of move Everton have perfected in the past with Landon Donovan and one which would have bolstered their squad, if only for a brief period post-Christmas.

Moyes’ men have won only one of six league games since ending the festive period with an impressive victory at Newcastle United.

Chasing a Champions League berth, Everton were three points off third place that evening.

Now they stand five points off even fifth place and the safe haven of guaranteed European qualification, the achievement Moyes has intimated would help persuade him to sign a new contract at the end of the season.

His decision to delay discussions in the wake of the January transfer window in an attempt to quell uncertainty over his future is in danger of having the complete opposite effect.

When Moyes last entered the final season of a contract back in 2008, he put pen to paper in the October having admitted he feared ongoing speculation could destabilise his team.

And while rumours and conjecture won’t directly influence on-field performances, the situation will be used as a stick with which to beat Moyes should Everton struggle to arrest their noticeably diminishing form.

Staleness and fatigue is beginning to creep into their game, hardly surprising given the lack of options that have forced Darron Gibson to play through the discomfort of an injury that will require an operation in the summer.

Nevertheless, Everton demonstrated sufficient quality and worked themselves into a position to take maximum reward until an alarming late collapse against a Norwich side that hadn’t won in nine Premier League games.

Everton have now let slip 19 points from winning positions this campaign. Indeed, holding on to the eight which have been surrendered in the last minute – including the Goodison clash with the Canaries – would have put them in the top four.

Instead, tomorrow’s FA Cup fifth round replay against Oldham Athletic has become one Moyes and his players simply cannot afford to lose.

Victory would make it the first of five consecutive home games, provide a navigable route back to Wembley and the opportunity to climb up the table. Defeat, though, doesn’t bear thinking about.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match, Moyes suggested Everton’s success over the remainder of the campaign would be determined by the form of Nikica Jelavic.

If so, the portents are gloomy. Whether or not an intentional attempt to pressure the striker into life, it didn’t work, Jelavic remaining a shadow of the player who, during a goal-laden start to his Goodison career, netted twice at Carrow Road last season.

But with Victor Anichebe injured once again, there seems little alternative to the Croat leading the line, despite Kevin Mirallas filling the breach during the final 11 minutes at the weekend after replacing Jelavic.

Saturday had all started so encouragingly. Sylvain Distin, who became the first foreign outfield player to reach 400 Premier League appearances, found Jelavic inside the area but the striker’s shot was too near to Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

With the returning Seamus Coleman popping up everywhere, Everton wrested control but were undermined by poor decision-making and delivery in the final third until the 39th minute when, from a Steven Pienaar lay-off, Leighton Baines crossed for the unmarked Leon Osman to head home.

Enter Kamara. The Norwich substitute dropped a header inches wide midway through the second half, but it was only when, as at Oldham the previous week, Everton’s defence started to drop too deep that the home side started to seriously threaten.

The equaliser came on 86 minutes, Anthony Pilkington winning a corner on the left that was delivered by Robert Snodgrass and Kamara capitalised on slack marking from Marouane Fellaini to head into the bottom corner.

And worse was to come when, with referee Lee Mason allowing play to continue beyond the allotted three minutes of injury time, Russell Martin crossed deep from the left, Sebastian Bassong headed down and Grant Holt prodded the ball beyond Howard.

There was no time remaining for Everton to respond. Thankfully, the same does not apply to their season.

The recovery must start tomorrow. Or else.