OF all the individual duels that could be a feature of tomorrow's Roses battle at Bramall Lane, the clash between Robbie Elliott and Paul Devlin has the potential to be the most hotly-contested of the lot.

If Anthony Barness is not fit enough to continue at left back, Elliott is likely to revert to that familiar role of his after doing so well as the midfield anchor man at Norwich.

And that will put the tough-tackling Geordie ("When Robbie tackles you, you stay tackled!" Peter Beardsley used to say of his Newcastle team-mate) on a collision course with the fiercely-competitive Devlin.

Not one for the faint-hearted!

They've clashed before, of course, as this picture from last season's X-rated Reebok encounter, which Wanderers won 2-0, clearly illustrates. And it's most unlikely they will be exchanging pleasantries tomorrow - at least not until after the game.

Devlin, for all his tempestuous antics, does have a good side to his nature - as Jimmy Phillips will testify. The mild-mannered full-back was the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice when he was sent off at St Andrew's during Wanderers' successful promotion campaign of 1996-97.

But the decision was overturned after the midfielder, then playing for Birmingham, sportingly backed his appeal.