DION DUBLIN narrowly missed out on providing the ultimate fairytale finish to his career – but Norwich supporters will have happily settled for the victory that secured their Championship status for another season.

The Canaries had this match by the scruff of the neck as early as the seventh minute. By that time they were one up, courtesy of Ched Evans’s 10th goal of the season, and were also playing against 10 men after the dismissal of Rangers defender Damion Stewart.

Glenn Roeder’s side, who were bottom of the table when he took over six months ago, went on to win at a canter, with second-half goals from captain Mark Fotheringham and substitute Darel Russell completing the job after a string of missed chances.

By then the stage was set for Dublin, who entered the fray to a rapturous reception with a little under 15 minutes remaining to make his final appearance at Carrow Road.

The 39-year-old striker, who will retire at the end of the season, almost made it a sensational finale when he tried his luck from inside his own half with as cleanly a struck volley as you are ever likely to see. Sadly for his adoring fans, QPR keeper Lee Camp, who had gone walkabout to give Norwich their third goal, saved it.

Norwich did not look back from the moment Stewart saw red in the fourth minutes for a shove on Evans as the Welshman chased a clearance from goalkeeper David Marshall. Camp also clattered into the on-loan striker, but referee Phil Joslin decided it was Stewart who had to go and the Rangers back four was still at sixes and sevens a few minutes later when Darren Huckerby’s cross fell for Evans to volley home.

As has been the case so often this season, Norwich were wasteful in front of goal after that, with Matty Pattison, Huckerby and Jamie Cureton all failing to hit the target and Ryan Bertrand firing against the upright.

Any possibility of a nervous finale for Norwich disappeared 11 minutes after the restart when Fotheringham tried his luck from outside the area and was delighted to see a deflection off substitute Zesh Rehman divert the ball into the net past the wrong-footed Camp.

The Rangers keeper had no chance with that one, but he was at fault with City’s third goal in the 82nd minute. He had raced out of his area and Russell was on target with his 40-yard effort to make Camp look rather stupid.

Star man:
Ched Evans(Norwich)

Player ratings.

Norwich City:
Marshall 7, Otsemobor 7, Shackell 7, Doherty 7, Bertrand 8, Huckerby 7, Pattison 6 (Chadwick 63min), Fotheringham 7, Gibbs 7 (Russell 77), Cureton 6 (Dublin 77min), Evans 8.

QPR:
Camp 5, Mancienne 6, Stewart 5, Connolly 5, Delaney 7, Ephraim 5 (Rehman 28min 6), Mahon 6, Rowlands 7, Ainsworth 5 (Leigertwood 32min, 6), Balanta 5, Blackstock 5

Scorers:

Norwich:Evans 7, Fotheringham 55, Russell 83