MATCH STATS SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Grant, Beevers, Wood, Johnson, Spurr, Watson, Bolder, Songo'o, Burton, Sahar, Slusarski Subs: Burch, Kavanagh (for Watson, 55), Esajas, McAllister (for Songo'o, 55), Clarke (for Sahar, 82) NORWICH CITY: Marshall, Otsemobor, Doherty, Shackell, Bertrand, Huckerby, Russell, Fotheringham, Pattison, Dublin, Evans Subs: Rudd, Croft (for Pattison, 59), Cureton (for Dublin, 66), Chadwick, Pearce (for Otsemobor, 73) SCORERS: Sheff Wed: Burton (21, pen 76) Sahar (53), Clarke (87) Norwich: Huckerby (9) TOP CANARY: EDP: Dion Dublin ATTENDANCE: 36,208 REFEREE: Mark Clattenburg (County Durham) Common sense prevailed – although if Shackell conceded the penalty why wasn’t he punished? ADDED TIME: First half: 1 min Second half: 2 mins YELLOW CARDS: Sheff Wed: Johnson (foul on Bertrand, 34), McAllister (foul on Russell, 73) RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Sheff Wed 8, Norwich 5 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Sheff Wed 3, Norwich 6 CORNERS: Sheff Wed 5, Norwich 2 FOULS:  Sheff Wed 13, Norwich 10 OFFSIDES:  Sheff Wed 3, Norwich 5

Sunday May 4, 2008
CHRIS LAKEY

There was only one name on everyone’s lips at Hillsborough yesterday – and whether you spell it Dion or Deon, the sentiments were the same.

It was Deon Burton’s two goals which earned Wednesday victory on a day of high drama at the end of the Championship season.

But it was Norwich City’s own Dion Dublin who stole the show – despite finishing on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline.

It wasn’t the best way for a legend to sign off after more than two decades in the game, but the manner of Dublin’s departure from professional football at 3.25pm was quite remarkable.

There were hugs all round, from players and coaching staff of both teams, as Dublin departed, slowly but surely, for the City dug-out.

The huge Hillsborough crowd of more than 36,000 paid tribute with their hands – but that was nothing compared to the ovation the 39-year-old received after the rest of the players had left the pitch.

As Dublin, clutching the match ball that referee Mark Clattenburg had handed to him, walked towards the travelling City fans, the ground burst into applause, from all four sides – and it went on and on and on.

Dublin kicked the ball into the empty net, retrieved it and made the long and final walk back to the dressing room.
Game over, season over, career over.
And now Glenn Roeder has to try and find a replacement.

It was a game which highlighted Roeder’s problems of the last six months – the defensive lapses outnumbered by the number of goal-scoring opportunities that went begging.

Darren Huckerby – another possibly playing his last game for City – scored after 12 minutes as City knocked the ball around with confidence and authority.

But chances came and went and by half-time it was all square – and then Wednesday’s urgency took over, with three more goals guaranteeing their Championship survival.

Roeder will need to address his attacking problems in the summer – Ched Evans and Dublin definitely won’t be here and Huckerby might not be.

He’s promised major surgery, and, now the season is over, it’s clear that needs to be the case.

Still, City’s 17th place finish is a lot better than we expected last October, and much of that is due to Roeder.

The City boss made two changes from the team which secured safety against QPR last week, recalling Darel Russell to the starting line-up, with teenage midfielder Kieran Gibbs returning to Arsenal after his loan spell.

But it was Dublin’s place for the 2pm kick-off that delighted the huge contingent of City fans, with the 39-year-old making the 620th and final start of his career before retiring.

It was leading scorer Jamie Cureton who gave way, relegated to the bench alongside 17-year-old Diss-born goalkeeper Declan Rudd, featuring in the senior team squad for the first time – and only three days after his reserve team debut.

The teams were greeted with a crescendo of noise at Hillsborough when they ran out, with City followers in something of a carnival mood, in contrast to their hosts, who were preparing for an anxious 90 minutes hoping their team would negate the need for favourable results elsewhere by securing their own Championship status with a win.

There was a hug for Darren Huckerby, who started on the left flank, from referee Mark Clattenburg as the teams prepared to kick-off – and then it was down to business.

It was Huckerby who made inroads after less than two minutes, moving from left to right and feeding Matty Pattison on the right flank, although the midfielder cross was easily gathered by keeper Lee Grant.

Bartosz Slusarski was inches away from getting on the end of a Franck Songo’o cross at the other end, with every Wednesday forward movement raising the volume inside the famous old ground.

But the hosts were clearly and not surprisingly nervous, Dublin’s smart turn on the edge of the area causing more than a few flutters, and a desperate hack away to safety.

Jason Shackell and Gary Doherty were keeping a close hold on the Wednesday front pair of Ben Sahar and Deon Burton – and that left City to write their own scripts at the other end.

And that meant it was the Dublin-Huckerby show which out City ahead on nine minutes, the big veteran slipping a lovely reverse flick back into Huckerby’s path and the winger doing just what he does best, planting a right foot shot into the top right hand corner past the despairing Grant.

Two minutes later Huckerby’s corner was met powerfully by Shackell, but the central defender headed it straight at Grant.

Wednesday looked to their own old-timer, Steve Watson, but the former Everton and Newcastle man was struggling to settle his team-mates down.

City should have been two up in the 14th minute, when an excellent Dublin pass found Ched Evans, who headed goalwards and, with defenders closing him down, unselfishly knocked it right to the unmarked Pattison, who slipped, but managed to get in a shot which Grant did well to touch away for a corner.

It was City’s show so far, with Dublin bringing out all his old tricks – and the home fans quickly changing their mood.

Ben Sahar almost latchd on to Adam Bolder through ball, but was judged offside – although that didn’t prevent David Marshall coming out and clearing.

But then Wednesday were handed a lifeline on 22 minutes, courtesy of Mr Clattenburg, who decided Shackell had brought down Burton just as the striker advanced into the area.

It seemed harsh, but the official – who opted not to punish Shackell with a card - waved away City protests, leaving Burton to beat Marshall from the spot.

For Wednesday, the equaliser was more than welcome, but they were probably justified in asking why Shackell wasn’t dismissed.

The volume lifted again, a mix of frustration and support – and news that rivals Sheffield United had taken the lead at Southampton.

Suddenly, within the space of a few minutes, Wednesday were looking an awful lot more comfortable.

Dublin turned defender to clear a home corner and moments later was caught out by an offside flag after good work between Huckerby and Russell had set up an opportunity that would have raised the roof off the Leppings Lane end of the ground.

Still it was City who looked happier, although, once again, their play wasn’t reflected in their goal tally.

City tried another of their training ground free-kick routines on 33 minutes, Fotheringham knocking the ball in from the right into the path of Evans, whose first-time effort bobbled a yard wide.

Slusarski fluffed his lines soon after with a left-foot shot from 14 yards which he hit straight at Marshall - and then news of a Southampton equaliser came through.

City were unlucky not to be further ahead at the break, leaving them 45 minutes to rectify a problem that has haunted them all season.

Half-time: Sheffield Wednesday 1, Norwich City 1

Pattison won’t be the one to solve it – he wasted a good chance from inside the area on 48 minutes after Evans had patiently waited for the cavalry to arrive.

Jermaine Johnson hacked down Huckerby and was lucky not to see a second yellow, having been booked for a foul on Ryan Bertrand in the first half – the last thing Wednesday needed.

But then, on 53 minutes, Wednesday were gifted another lifeline – City failed to clear a Songo’o corner, the ball came back in from the left, went behind far too many defenders and Sahar got enough of a touch on it to put the ball in to the net off a post.

With Wednesday ahead and with a foot in next year’s Championship, manager Brian Laws made a double substitution, Graham Kavanagh and Sean McAllister replacing Songo’o and Watson.

Wednesday’s spirits were as high as they’d been all afternoon, and Burton tested Marshall with a good left-foot volley as he tried to take advantage of the euphoria inside Hillsborough.

Roeder responded with a change of his own, with Lee Croft coming on for Pattison – a signal that Roeder wasn’t content to play second fiddle.

Tommy Spurr stung Marshall’s fingers with a left foot shot on 62 minutes as Wednesday went for the killer goal that would surely make them safe – and with Southampton moving ahead at St Mary’s as well, the picture was liable to change at any moment.

Dublin made his departure from football at 3.25pm and rivalries were momentarily suspended.

Cureton’s first act was to inadvertently block a Russell shot on 72 minutes, but by then the match was a much more even affair – or it should have been.

Within minutes of Doherty moving to right back in place of Jon Otsemobor, who had been replaced by Alex Pearce, City were behind – and it was the central defenders who were found wanting as Burton was left unmarked to head home Spurr’s cross on 75 minutes.

It was game over, and City had only themselves to blame – missed chances and defensive lapses equal defeats.

Cureton tried to loop a header from Croft’s cross over the keeper, but didn’t get enough on it, while Bertrand almost signed off with a goal, only to see his left-footer clear the bar by inches.

But it was Wednesday who had the last laugh, four minutes from time, when Doherty was caught in two minds, lost possession and allowed sub Leon Clarke to squeeze past two defenders and stab the ball home.

Result: Sheffield Wednesday 4, Norwich City 1