CRAIG HICKEY REPORTS ON WOLVES 1-1 DRAW WITH VILLA
A tough game today, a team in good form, hard to break down. A draw would be a decent point but after last week why shouldn’t we get all 3.
The atmosphere was electric on kick off, the usual racous chanting and support from the Wolves. Villa controlled the first 20 minutes, one shot at the far post from Cash after a cross field ball was sweetly volleyed and Sa parried away. The warnings are there, this was going to be a tough game. Eventually Wolves are to penetrate the Villa back line and a Ait Nouri flick goes wide. It’s been a niggly first half, not blood and thunder but some battles that got the ground going. John McGinn the centre of most of it all with some running battles at corners with Craig Dawson. As the half wears on there’s lots of possession for both sides but nothing really to cause any problems. Villa’s high defensive line is making Wolves try to pick a way through and it seems Hwang is probably the outlet as Neto is marked by two everytime he gets the ball. Maybe switching Neto to the right will change that in the second half and getting in behind them as the 1st half peters out. There’s a red card here today as it stands.
Half time 0-0.
A sub at half time see’s Doherty on for Ait Nouri. We had kept Watkins quiet the first half but in the first minute of the second half a whipped ball in gets flicked on by Watkins and Sa pulls off a great one handed save. Hwang gets caught and receives lengthy treatment for a blow to the nose.
On 53 mins, a driving Neto run into the box is stabbed home by Hwang, the dream team continues, goal to Wolves .Then disaster strikes, a minute later we concede a free kick, it’s worked to the far post and Torres stabs it home, 1-1.
Neto goes on a solo run and goes down in the box, no pen. Great play gets Semedo in, he couldn’t finish but it was offside anyway. Sasa comes on after 75 mins and Cunha goes off. Sasa’s, first touch is a beautiful ball across the box but Neto puts it over with the goal at his mercy. On 82mins Sasa sends Neto away, gets the return but can’t work out whether to shoot or pass and the balls drifts to the Villa defence to clear. A shot by Lemina on 82 mins towards the far corner is comfortably saved. There’s 12 mins added on. A debatable second yellow for Lemina in injury time made it a hard last 10 mins, I thought he was fouled first to be fair. In the 99th minute a corner comes across to the left that Zanolo just puts wide. The usual backs to the wall defending in the 101st minute sees a great save from Sa. It wasn’t over and then a Watkins header in the 112th minute hits the post header. A fair result but officiating at times was bizarre.
That game a month ago we would have lost. If you had said we’d take 4points from the last two games, you’d have laughed, so we have to be delighted. Are we starting to see the team battle and compete, I think so, we still need that poacher though. Hwang and Neto are certainly doing a great job for us and at last we are getting chances. Bournemouth away is now an opportunity to kick on, we need to go there with our current mentality and a positive result will come.
ARTICLE BY CRAIG HICKEY
A 53 year old season ticket holder in the Steve Bull stand. Go along with my two young lads who love the Wolves and so far, the positive times. Long may it continue.