Norwich City (4-4-2): Marshall; Otsemobor, Bertrand, Shackell, Doherty; Huckerby, Fotheringham, Russell, Pattison; Dublin, Evans. Subs (not used): Rudd, Croft, Cureton, Chadwick, Pearce.
Dion Dublin was granted his final, footballing wish this afternoon as he was handed his 743rd and last professional appearance against Sheffield Wednesday – and from the start, to boot.
Both the retiring 39-year-old and City boss Glenn Roeder had been at pains to stress beforehand that if Dublin were to start one final game before the Sky Sports sofa beckoned, it would be on merit.
Roeder didn't do sentimentality; nor, said Dublin, was he looking for any favours.
In the end, however, City's newly-crowned Player of the Season probably did get in on merit as he replaced Jamie Cureton alongside the free-scoring Ched Evans.
It wasn't the only change Roeder made ahead of today's do-or-die fixture for Wednesday – back in came Darel Russell alongside skipper Mark Fotheringham, replacing Arsenal starlet Kieran Gibbs who three-month loan spell ended last week.
With Russell in that central midfield berth, it found Matty Pattison heading out to the left-hand side of midfield with Darren Huckerby – whose Norfolk future is, of course, still the subject of fervent debate – prepared to start potentially his last game for the Canaries away on the right.
The biggest surprise of the afternoon, however, came on the bench with a first sighting of teenage keeper Declan Rudd.
It has been quite a week for the 17-year-old Diss teenager after the England Youth keeper made his Reserve team debut for the Carrow Road club on Thursday night before today's big moment in South Yorkshire as City's usual No2 Matty Gilks was forced to sit out the final game of the season.
There was also a space for Luke Chadwick in Roeder's final thinking for 2007-2008. What his opening thinking for 2008-2009 will be fascinating to watch develop over the next three months. It won't be a quiet summer – that, at least, was certain.
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