Wolves 2 – 1 Charlton – Match Review

By: Toby | March 14th, 2009

Two goals scored, one conceded, one penalty awarded, one penalty missed, ten shots on goal and 60% of the possession. All of these statistics and numbers mean nothing when compared with one gleaming number. Three points gained. That’s what was important today, we needed to win, and after giving us all mild coronary heart failure in the process, they got those vital three points. Normally getting three points against the bottom team in the league wouldn’t be reason enough for such fevered celebration. But the reason is simple, for the first time in a long time, those around us have lost and we’ve won. Reading slipped up against Ipswich, who we found to be a stern test in midweek, losing 1-0, leaving Wolves ten points ahead in the title race, with Reading still two games in hand.

In the end it would be Iwelumo’s first goal in a Wolves shirt since the 25th of November and a goal, which was eventually awarded to Sylvan Ebanks Blake, his 24th of the season which won it for Wolves, in a game where, at times we were pretty poor. Wolves started brightly enough, for all of ten minutes, with Kightly spurring an opportunity early on. From then on Wolves found it hard to take control of the game as Charlton packed the midfield, leaving Wolves no time on the ball, our final ball suffered as a result which lead to our chances being limited to pot shots. The breakthrough came on the 35th minute as Iwelumo, fed by Michael Kightly slotted home in off the post, much to his, and the fan’s relief.

Unfortunately, rather than take that momentum into the second half, Wolves rather hit a plateau, and were made to rue that complacency on the 50th minute as Charlton man Zheng Zhi hit a sweet long range strike into the top corner, Hennessey flapped and Charlton were very much back in the game. Unfortunately it took Charlton scoring for Wolves to finally wake up and start playing again, and after a spell of pressure they found their reward in a “slightly dubious” penalty award. Up stepped Sylvan, and for the second time in three he had his effort saved. Must try harder Ebanks. However all was to be forgiven on the 78th minute, when Iwelumo and Ebanks combined to both head towards goal and eventually force the ball home. 2-1 Wolves fans in raptures, news that Reading had been held to a 1-0 defeat only sweetened the victory.

Up next? Nottingham Forest, who we beat 5-1 at the start of the season, and who lost 5-0 today….so knowing Wolves in their current form, that’ll be a tight game.

Until then, a big thank you to those of you who came along to the liveblog, (reader stats have doubled since the first one) and highlights will be along whenever they pop up!

Here’s to the top of the league!

Tarra-a-bit!