Norwich City (4-4-2): Marshall; Otsemobor, Camara, Pearce, Shackell; Croft, Pattison, Fotheringham, Bertrand; Dublin, Cureton. Subs: Gilks, Gibbs, Spillane, Evans, Daley.
If there were few surprises to Glenn Roeder'ds starting line-up tonight given the fact that Darren Huckerby was always never better than “50-50” and Juan Velasco was struggling with a sore thigh and bruised pride after events at the Ricoh on Saturday, there was a big one on the bench.
For there sat second-year Academy scholar Luke Daley – suddenly finding himself further up the Canary pecking order than both Chris Martin and the on-loan James Henry.
The 18-year-old, Northampton-born striker has, in fairness, bagged four goals from six reserve team starts this season and has eight goals from his 20 Academy Under-18 games but to say that few had predicted his elevation to the dizzying heights of the first team would be something of an understatement.
Roeder has always made it clear that if they're good enough, they're old enough. And with 18-year-old Kieran Gibbs, Ched Evans and Michael Spillane on the bench the Academy youngster wasn't short of teenage pals.
As for the starting XI, Jon Otsemobor went straight back in for the struggling Velasco with Alex Pearce handed another stiff test of his physical prowess alongside Jason Shackell as Gary Doherty served out his one-match ban.
With Darel Russell likewise suspended for tonight's home clash against his former employers, the combative qualities of Matthew Pattison in the centre of midfield would be key to the outcome of tonight's contest – as would the need for both Lee Croft and Ryan Bertrand to roll up their sleeves and dig their way to a decent performance and a much-needed result.
Jamie Cureton's three goals in City's last four games earned its due reward with a start alongside Dion Dublin.
As for the strapping Potters, the one notable absentee was one-time Norwich loan target Ryan Shawcross who found his way to the bench this evening having completed his full-time switch to the Britannia following his initial loan switch to the Potteries from Old Trafford.
All buts, ifs and maybes, but it must cross ex-manager Peter Grant's mind what-might-have-been had he persuaded the strapping centre-half to come to Norwich last summer.
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