What a difference two years makes.
The last time Wolves finished their season against Sheffield United?
Well, no one needs reminding of that.
But 713 days on, the two old warhorses rounded off their Championship campaigns with considerably lesser at stake than that glorious afternoon in the Principality.
To pinch a few lyrics from Carly Simon, 'Nothing stays the same'.
In football perhaps more so than elsewhere.
Yet as Wolves reflect on a hugely frustrating and unfulfilling season overall, without doubt there could be questions asked as to in which direction they have gone since the aforementioned-delights of the Millennium Stadium. There's certainly little to celebrate from the 2004/05 campaign, but on the upside it has clearly ended amid much optimism with an 18-match league unbeaten run and just one defeat in 24 under Glenn Hoddle.
Impressive stuff, at least over the second half of the season.
And this final curtain, for a game with little riding on it barring a miracle for United, produced plenty of entertainment, albeit most of it down to the generosity of both defences.
Twice in the first half Wolves led, through Joleon Lescott and Leon Clarke, and twice the Blades replied, through Alan Quinn and Andy Gray. There were also other chances aplenty, with Clarke denied by Paddy Kenny and Kenny Miller shooting wide, and Phil Jagielka rattling Michael Oakes's crossbar.
Half time substitute Kevin Cooper needed barely five minutes to restore Wolves' lead, and at last there was breathing space on the hour when Miller made it 20 for the season following a now customary fine move involving Rohan Ricketts and Clarke.
That was that, another excellent job done, and nothing left now save for whether Wolves can this week successfully conclude negotiations to keep Hoddle at the helm and build on the undoubted head of steam generated over the second half of the season. With that manager, and this squad, there's no reason why the sort of memories generated two years ago might not be within reach again 12 months from now.
To return to Ms Simon, 'if you're willing to play the game, it will be coming around again.'
And rest assured, whatever transpires over the next few days and the rest of the summer, come August they'll be plenty of happy, smiling faces turning up to Molineux on a sun-drenched afternoon to start the adventure all over again.
They wouldn't have it any other way.
WOLVES (4-1-2-3): Oakes 7; Edwards 6 (Bischoff 45, ), Lescott 7, Craddock 6, Naylor 7; Olofinjana 7 (Cooper 45, 7); Cameron 7 (Cort 67, ), Ricketts 6; Seol 6, Miller 7, * CLARKE 8. Not used: Jones, Cornes.
SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-2-1-3): Kenny; Kozluk, Morgan, Bromby, Geary; Jagielka, Montgomery; Tonge; Quinn (Shaw 63), Webber (Sharp 82), Gray (Forte 82). Not used: Harley, Thirlwell.
REFEREE: P. Walton
