Wolves keep rolling on

Wolves clocked up their 4th successive win in the Championship and it’s a successful run that has taken them from one off the bottom of the table to being level on points with the top of the division. There was also a 3rd successive clean sheet from a team that are currently showing more solidity than style but few in the stands at Molineux will be complaining if the results keep coming. It was almost the same team that won at Peterborough last weekend with Boukari preferred to Peszko on the right of midfield;

Ikeme
Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward
Boukari, Doumbia, Henry, Sako
Ebanks Blake, Doyle

An early clash between Ward and Antonio lead to a penalty appeal for the visitors who started the game the livelier team but that was waved away. Then O’Grady shot into the side netting, before Doyle had Wolves first attempt with a shot from 25 yards that went just over. O’Grady was close to getting onto the end of a dangerous cross into the Wolves area as the home team started slowly. And there was another blow after 15 minutes when Boukari was caught on the ankle by a tackle from behind after playing the ball and was unable to continue with Peszko coming on.

Midway through the first half Wolves finally started to assert their superiority and Sako smacked a shot just over and Doyle also went close, before Sako again was not far away. As half time approached Wolves took the lead in bizarre fashion. After Ebanks Blake was fouled 25 yards out, the referee was making sure the Wednesday defensive wall was 10 yards away when Sako took the free kick early only for the referee to book the Wolves midfielder for taking the kick before he was ready. The ref then ordered the free kick to be retaken and marched out ten yards for where the wall needed to stand. The Wednesday players formed the wall only 8 yards away and the ref seemed to be unconcerned by that. But no matter to Sako who hammered the free kick low and hard into the corner of the net.

The second half we saw a lot of what Solbakken is trying to build at the club as Wolves secured a win with their narrow one goal lead without a great deal of trouble. Johnson and Berra looked solid in the centre of defence and Kevin Foley looks set to make the right back position his own again with another excellent showing. Henry and Doumbia provide a barrier ahead of the defence and Wednesday were able to offer little threat on the Wolves goal. At the other end of the field Doyle was having another excellent game while Sako’s dead ball deliveries were a constant threat.

The best move of the second half saw Doyle set up Ebanks Blake whose shot was narrowly wide. Sigurdarsen replaced SEB soon after that and there was a Wolves debut for Danny Batth who was on loan at Wednesday last season as he came on for Doyle late on. It was far from a thriller in the second half but there was some impression made on the home fans who have rarely in recent years seen a team in Old Gold play out the game so well with such good possession and confident defending.

Ikeme – continues to impress but had little to do on the day
Foley – has made an excellent return to the first team
Johnson – another sound performance in what is becoming an impressive season
Berra – the defence has looked more solid since he came back into the team and I made him Wolves best player today
Ward – so often available for the outlet ball for Wolves when they are breaking from defence
Boukari – sad to see his debut start come to an end so early with injury
Doumbia – provides a real physical presence and no little skill
Henry – playing as well as at any time in his career
Sako – a skilful rather than speedy wide player whose dead ball delivery is a major asset for Wolves
Ebanks Blake – not many chances on the day but went close with one second half
Doyle – right back to his best and a constant thorn to the Wednesday defence
Peszko – did ok and might have scored a couple 2nd half if he had a stronger left foot
Batth – good to see another youngster get a chance

So Wolves now sit in 3rd place in the Championship and on the same points as the two teams above them. Every reason to believe that they will get better as the season progresses as the new players brought in from abroad settle to playing in the English League. It’s Crystal Palace at Molineux on Tuesday and if Wolves can stretch the run of wins to 5 in succession then the belief can only get stronger. The majority of Wolves fans had been expecting at best a season of stability and promise, but the way things are going those aspirations will start to get aimed a little higher.

Category: Team News