Sean PERCIVAL REPORTS ON WOLVES 2 - 4 LEEDS IN A RELEGATION 6 POINTER
The sound of squeaking bottoms echoed around Molineux in the build up to this relegation six pointer.
Wolves Team Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Jonny, Lemina, Neves, Gomes, Neto, Jimenez, Podence.
Leeds Team Meslier, Ayling, Firpo, Koch, Wober, Roca, McKennie, Aaronson, Harrison, Bamford, Gnotto.
Match Officials
Ref – Michael Salisbury -Usually incompetent and weak
VAR – David Coote – Usually incompetent and looks a bit like Wallace out of Wallace and Gromit.
Fourth official – Andre Marriner – Usually incompetent and probably incontinent as well (He looks about ninety)
Wolves were totally outplayed in the first half of our last two matches against Spurs and The Toon. We needed to start well against Leeds.
We didn’t.
first half
Wolves went behind after five minutes when Gnotto eased passed a passive Semedo for the second time in as many minutes and crossed for Harrison to shoot home.
0-1
A couple of minutes later Semedo, who always seems more comfortable going forward, surged into the Leeds box where he was clearly fouled.
Guess what ?
The ref didn’t give a pen and VAR didn’t even advise him to look at the pitch side monitor.
Scandalous.
The Wolves bench were apoplectic.
Wolves pretty much dominated the rest of the first half.
Neto should have scored after good work by Podence but fluffed his shot.
Kilman put in a great cross which both Lemina and Semedo nearly scored from.
Neves went close as well.
The officials were rightly booed off at half time.
second half
Wolves made two subs during the interval. Collins for the booked Dawson and Neto made way for Sarabia
Wolves had the ball in the net within minutes of the restart but Lemina was offside.
Then disaster struck.
Ayling, unmarked, scored from a corner with a free header at the far post (Gomes lost his man).
0-2
On came Adama and Cunha for Semedo and Podence.
Wolves surged forward and Sarabia missed a sitter from three meters out.
Then Jonny dwindled on the ball in the Wolves box. Leeds sub Nissen robbed him of possession and fired through Sa’s legs.
0-3
Jonny immediately made amends for his error with a great goal by lobbing Meslier from about 40 yards out.
1-3
Wolves went on the attack again and after creating and missing numerous chances, including one great save from Meslier, Cunha had a shot deflected in.
2-3
The momentum was now with Wolves and an equaliser seemed inevitable until Jonny was sent off after overrunning the ball and lunging in on Ayling.
He was initially given a yellow but the ref was sent to the screen by VAR and changed it to red.
Down to ten men and with Joao on for Ruben, Wolves couldn’t maintain the pressure.
Going into injury time Adama clearly had his shirt pulled but the ref didn’t give it. As a result Leeds regained possession, broke away and Rodrigo scored.
VAR sent the ref to the screen which clearly showed Adama’s shirt being pulled. Unbelievably the ref let the goal stand and then, to rub salt into the wound he sent off Wolves unused sub Matheus Nunes. Nunes was furious and had to be pulled away from the ref by fellow sub Costa.
2-4 game over.
In conclusion...
Even though Wolves gave away three goals with sloppy defending they created more than enough chances to win this game but they didn’t take them.
Neto, Sarabia, Semedo, Raul and Cunha all missed good opportunities but more worrying than that is the fact that it now seems pretty obvious that there is some kind of agenda against Wolves.
VAR not advising the ref to review the blatant foul in the box.
The ref reviewing but then refusing to give the blatant foul on Adama (how often do they not change the decision when they go to the screen?) and then the sending off of Matheus.
They shafted us in the FA Cup.
They shafted us in the Carabao Cup and now they are shafting us on a weekly basis in the Premier League.
If Wolves were one of the big six this would be headline news but they are are not.
Wolves are in a relegation battle with eight other teams but their most dangerous opponents are the PGMOL officials who seem determined to screw Wolves over at ever opportunity.
The game finished six hours ago but my blood is still. boiling.
article by Sean Stanton
Born in Wolverhampton. Raised in Dudley, Drank in the Beacon in Sedgley until he had children. Now drinks at home.