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Glad Tidings: Wolves 2 – 1 Stoke

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Yes!

Wolves secure their first opening day win in 12 years, and with sufficient style to bode well for the future. David Jones picked up where he left off at the end of last season, with some intelligent, creative play, a few chances and a brilliant volleyed freekick. Fletcher, also, in particular looked like a fine acquisition, even nicking a goal from a few inches out on his debut.

Van Damme, playing on the wing, looked more comfortable than many a foreign import on their Premiership debut. Ward continued to confound my ingrained negative expectations by producing a solid performace at the back and some good moments going forward.

Stoke new boy, Kenwyne Jones, looked sharp until picking up an injury from a hard but fine tackle from Craddock. That seemed to be the end for Stoke for the first half, but amidst the celebrations, that first quarter of an hour in which Stoke were able to threated and Jones managed comfortable outpace and out muscle the usually sturdy Berra to get a shot rebounding off the crossbar should strike a note of caution for the future.

Stoke picked up in the second half, denying Wolves the luxury of one of those rare comfortable finishes. A win, however, is a win, and sees Wolves in the top four!

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Take a Bow: West Ham 1-3 Wolves

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Plenty of empty seats were in evidence at Upton Park to witness Wolves elevation to seven points off the drop zone.

A late West Ham goal took a little of the shine off a great day for Wolves.  West Ham had their moments, but often looked very little like a team willing or able to fight for their place at the top table.

Jarvis, Jones and Doyle were again outstanding, and Zubar hit a fine goal in Wolves first three goal spree this season.  West Ham are rightly despondent, but the Wolves fans will go home very happy indeed.

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Hallelujah: Burnley 1-2 Wolves

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Not only am I back on form after a bit of a sabatical, but we can start with a vital away win for Wolves.

Burnley are likely to be cast as ‘fellow-strugglers’ with Wolves in many of the write-ups for this game, but the three point gap opened over 18th place here does set us apart a little from that pack.  That’s not to say that it’s all over, that with one bad result we’re not right back in there, but three points taken from your closest rivals is the very best you can get from a single game.

It made a change to see Wolves getting the luck with Jarvis being gifted the first goal from a terrible back pass, and Guediora’s wayward shot taking a decisive deflection off Burnley back Carlisle for the second, but all that really goes to show is the truth that you make your own luck and the better you play the more luck you get.  And vice versa, as Burnley will attest after Nugent smashed the ball into the ground from 8 yards to see it ricochet off the top of the cross bar.  Wolves are better than Burnley, and have the luck to prove it.

Nothing is set in stone, but this result will set the engraver reaching for his chisel, as far as Burney are concerned at least.  And from Wolves’s perspective, the evidence is that if they keep up the showing of the last month they will be in with a good chance of sticking where they are.

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Proving we can win: Wolves 2-1 Bolton

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

It wouldn’t be a Wolves win without a nervy finish but, that aside, finally a result that matched the performance and vice versa.

‘Stealth Craddock’ managed to thump in a goal in the third minute from what looked like a suspisciously off side position, but no one at the club was about to spurn that piece of luck. Wolves went on to dominate in the first half, with Milijas in particular in fine form, but went in only one goal to the good at the break.

Bolton raised their game in the second, but it was Wolves who got the crucial next goal, with an absolute stunner from Milias from 30 yards out. Cue a Bolton revival and a certain degree of panic evident in the Wolves defensive ranks. However the team held on for those all important three points against fellow strugglers, ahead of trips to Spurs and Manchester United.

A good all round team performance, and an impressive return to the starting lineup for Stephen Ward.

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Wolves 2-1 Fulham

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

The View From the North

A good day for Wolves, despite them again doing their sportsmanlike best to help an indifferent Fulham side make a game of it towards the end.

Pros:
> 2 good goals, including Kevin Doyle’s first, and a win
> A comeback for Ebanks-Blake and Kightly
> A sound debut for Castillo
> Fine performances from Hennessey and Berra. I’ve never been impressed by him previously but Berra defended well today

Cons:
> Wolves let things get far too nervy at the end
> Having said he had a good debut lest week, for a tall feller it’s surprising Maierhofer didn’t win a single header.
> I and everyone else around me who seemed equally exhasperated had to listen to 90 minutes of constant abuse if everyone and everything Wolves-related from the person behind. I hate to single the idiot out, but I was sitting in NL5 L146 and he wasn’t far away. I think we must have been at different games because Wolves won and deserved to. So it’s hello mid-table glory for Wolves, and Au Revoir North Bank for Wolfie.

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Wolves 0-0 Swindon (6-5 on penalties) LEAGUE CUP

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Tradition usually requires that Wolves exit to lower league opposition in the 2nd round – I can only assume the fact that our elevated status means we didn’t have to play the first round explains these unexpected victory.  The team certainly did their best to uphold a fine tradition with a thoroughly uninspired League Cup performance but were just outwitted by some fine penalty taking.  Great to be in the hat for the next round but the cup is never going to be a priority this year – a sentiment Mick McCarthy clearly shares as he handed a start to still transfer-listed (anyone?) Neil Collins, who it seems remains his usual spirited but thoroughly inconsistent self.  A first team debut also to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing – a bright prospect for the future.  Good to see Elokobi and Doyle get some more competitive play under their belts. 

And so, the Wolves go marching on.  Next stop, who knows where…

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Wigan Athletic 0-1 Wolves

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

A dominant if edgy performance (do they do it any other way) brings Wolverhampton Wanderers their first ever Premier League away win. Having gone a whole season five years ago without managing particular that feat, it’s extremely gratifying to get the result in their first trip away this season.

Despite a squad of shreds and patches Wolves could, probably should, have had more. Keogh signalled their intent, hitting the crossbar in only the third minute. Within eight he had the ball in the back of the net with a sound header from Milijas’s free kick. Then in the second half he had a clear penalty call turned down, and continued to make all the running. It’s hard to believe this is the same Keogh who, although he never lacked enthusiasm, spent large portions of last season looking like a scarecrow caught in the headlights. Special mention also to Henry for another solid performance, and to Edwards, who has never been a regular starter but came in today and put in a good shift in the run-until-you-drop mould, also delivering a few good attacking passes.

Wigan did finally manage to pull things together into the second half after Jason Scotland came on and did have their own, slightly less definitive, penalty shouts waved away. Still, Wolves organised soundly, and held on for the win.

Milijas again put in a commanding, if slightly less spectacular, performance and the defence are to be congratulated for doing well with what resources they have!

Roll on Saturday. Mick McCarthy will have an interesting headache deciding who to leave out if Doyle is fit by then.

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Wolves vs. QPR (1:0) – WOLVES PROMOTED

Saturday, April 18th, 2009
The calm before the storm

The calm before the storm

What a day.  I’ve written a bit more about it in my blog because, I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s the game that won Wolves a place in the top flight for only the second time in 25 years.

The game itself, well, who really cares.  A win’s a win, but to be fair Wolves could have made things a little less nervous in the final 15 if they’d put away a few more of their chances, but by the same measure, QPR could have been real party poopers had a their which hit the crossbar fallen another couple of inches lower.  Ultimately, Wolves were deserved winners, and will be in the premier league next year.

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Derby vs. Wolves (2:3)

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Congratulations to Mr. Keogh, the hero of the hour, popping up with two crucial goals in one game after only three in the rest of the season.  Just reward for an impressive workrate, and we can only hope a sign of greater confidence (and, let’s face it, skill) in front of goal.  An overall poor performance (although how do you play like a ‘Bobbin’, Mick?!) but it;s the result that counts, and I’m loving this one.

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Nottingham Forest vs. Wolves (0:1)

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

A good win, especially considering the further slips from Reading and Brum, infront of over 5000 away supporters (there seems to be something in the air – is it all the winning?).  The match was uninspiring, but I’ll take a win in a dire encounter above a polished but unluckly draw at this stage in the season.  If was never going to match Wolves’ fine 5-1 thrashing of Forest back in August, but there haven’t been many more enjoyable results this season.

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