Wolves Vs Blackpool Match Analysis/Highlights

By: Toby | November 23rd, 2008

Terrible commentary. Sorry.

Wolves made it six wins on the bounce yesterday with a fine performance. It wasn’t fine in respect of brilliant dazzling football, but I will say that it was a good effort and a real example of the side’s ability to dig deep and manage without key players. Losing Henry and Carlos Edwards for this game had made this seemingly innocuous looking fixture against Blackpool seem a ripe banana skin, with which we were approaching at speed. That coupled with the fact that we lost Mancienne too at short notice to a case of the sniffles, meant that we really were punctured in key places across the field. Though, their replacements did everything they were asked to do, Collins, in for Mancienne went about his task in his typical hard working way, always keen and willing to the cause, he lacks Mancienne’s fluent nature with the ball, but he plays with true heart, and threw everything at the ball yesterday. Gray too, worked tirelessly trying to replace Carlos Edwards, tracking back and going forward. Having lasted the entire 90 minutes, I can’t see him playing Tuesday, rather perhaps Keogh, who got a good 20 minutes under his belt may move into that left wing slot.

It was down to Chris Iwelumo to take control of the game as captain, and he lead by example by power housing his way through Blackpool twice, either side of halftime. Wolves wasted a host of chances, balls kept on falling to the wrong people, Stearman found himself with golden chances a number of times and was unlucky with a couple, hitting the bar once. I’m pretty sure if they’d have fallen to either Iwelumo or Blake we’d be talking about another landslide, it could have easily have been 4-0 at half time, hopefully the highlights will show this. However is was Iwelumo who broke the deadlock, with a fine piece of skill, plucking the ball out of the air before thumping home a volley of his own creation. Blackpool rarely troubled the goal, with Ikeme not really having a save to make, their only real highlight in front of goal being a dragged shot wide. Blackpool’s main input in the game seemed to be in trying to kick Wolves off the park for the majority of the game, but Any D’Urso is a more lenient man than most, keeping his cards quite close to his chest all game. This comes as a relief as neither of our players on four yellows – Jones or Kightly went into the book. The second half found a slower pace, and it was getting a bit jittery before an error by the up till then fine Blackpool keeper Rachubka fumbled, and gifted Iwelumo with his second of the match.

This result was exactly the reply needed after Blue’s dogged and determined win down at Swansea, no mean feat to win down there, as we found out first hand. We’ve maintained our 6 point lead, and with Reading being beaten at home by Southampton we’ve got a 10 point lead from third, which is exactly what we need going into the next few fixtures, which are currently looking a bit deadly, with our team looking a bit war weary. Hopefully an injection of another loanie might come a long this week, with MM surely looking to replace Carlos Edwards, with Jarvis a while off being fit.

So, all in all, job well done. Battling, goals, other teams doing us a favour, it’s been another great weekend, so, yet again, sit back, relax, and have a look at this wonderful piece of football league table.

Oh my that’s good.

Tarra-a-bit!

I’ll whack up longer highlights when I get them!!