WOLVES DRAW WITH PALACE: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Last week’s late drama and a draw at Brighton should surely have given the players and fans a massive boost. The Eagles visited Molineux today on the back of two good results against Spurs and Villa (Carabao Cup), it was going to be tough. A few fans say it’s a must win game as well as Southampton but let’s face it, it’s a MUST NOT LOSE for either game. The results around didn’t help us, so it’s in our own hands today to stop the gap getting bigger at the bottom.

The Wolves team today had one change from Brighton, Sarabia coming in for Lemina.

A good start from Wolves, good use of the flanks on the attacks but no shots at all, there were opportunities for alternative passes but these weren’t taken.Palace looked dangerous on th attack and get two shots in one attack. A block for the first and the rebound then produces a save from from Sa.

Ait Nouri began to look threatening but his decision to take people on, instead of driving low crosses across the goal frustrated the fans. He could have played a through ball to an unmarked Larsen in a 4 on 3 but he chose to try and take people on again, a theme that is annoying with his play and so the attack was over. One effort from him, after a knockdown was blazed over but at least he had a go. Doyle was seeing alot of the ball and tried to pick out passes as much as possible, all down the left side.
Cunha was having a big influence on the game after 20 minutes, a dinked pass into Sarabia had just a little too much pace on it, as it went to the keeper.

Cunha & Larsen were trying to combine as much as possible as the game wore on but again, there was just a little too much pace on the passes.

Palace were looking dangerous on the break but there final balls were cut out by Dawson and Santi Bueno . Then we had a spate of corners, one leads to shot but it goes just wide, good job it was offside, I cant make out if it was a block or a total miscue from the Palace player.

Wolves then produce a good passage of play, a neat move with lovely touches, Gomes plays Cunha in but he curls his effort tamely wide. As the half enters its last 10 minutes, Palace seem to bully us off the ball and cause us issues, our defensive blocks prevent the ball going on target.

We get a chance through Sarabia after a lovely through ball from Cunha, he could have dinked it over the keeper with his right foot but he dwelled on it and the chance had gone, as the keeper stabs it away. We go on to create some great opportunities on the wings but the final ball seems to evade our players or efforts are blocked. It’s been an even first 45 mins but no goals. We don’t have enough width on the right, it’s an opportunity for a fast winger and pace down the right, will Gary O’Neil change it? Lets see.

Half-time 0 – 0

The 2nd half starts well for us, we have a great chance as Wolves win possession, Larsen plays a ball to Cunha, we are overloading the left, Cunha then plays in Sarabia. It must be a goal as he only has to drill it into the far corner but its hit straight at the keeper, who saves. Another chance gone for Sarabia, we should be 2-0 up, will we regret these two misses?

Palace get a free kick, it’s a short one to Will Hughes, who crosses, Sa gets mixed up with Larsen and it falls to the back post to be finished off by Chalobah. Shambolic goal to concede. Was there a call by Sa?

The atmosphere starts to get toxic now as O’Neil makes substitutions, taking off Sarabia, Toti and Doyle? Lemina, Guedes and Bellegarde on. Not a popular decision to bring off Doyle and the ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ chants began, is this the losing of the home fans? I know it’s been a muted GON out, since Brighton up until today but I think this might be the start of the revolt against him at home.

Wolves break at pace, a cross field pass from Bueno is taken by Cunha, who plays a beautiful outside of foot pass, to Larsen,  who cool as you like, slots it between the legs of the keeper. 1-1. The pressure is now relentless from Wolves, the tide might be turning here.

Another sweeping move as Lemina & Ait Nouri combine to set up Cunha, he slips a pass  into Guedes who pulls it back to Gomes who side foots it home. Its 2-1, what a turnaround, the stadium is going mental and this could be a win at last for us.

Perhaps those subs did work and they have changed the game. There’s still 15 minutes left to go and we are under pressure at the back again but we block their attempts with bodies thrown at the ball.  The game is entering its final stages and my lad says to me “we need a 3rd here”, yes, unless we have a two goal lead, its never over. They swiftly break forward again, and create a chance but the finish is straight at Sa.

A Palace corner comes straight over to back post, surely Sa could have come to punch it and it’s bundled in, shocking again. 2-2.

This game isn’t over yet, 7 minutes of added time, where the hell from? I couldn’t tell you. A Wolves attack from Larsen who links well with Guedes, whose shot is saved. We keep trying to penetrate the Palace back line but the ball will not drop for us. Then the heart in mouth moment that we have all come to expect, a disallowed goal. Sa dives down to save a shot but he is clipped by the Palace attacker, VAR is involved and we get a slice of good fortune as Anthony Taylor’s decision is upheld.

Full Time 2- 2

It’s a game we threw away really, we should have won but our set piece defending comes back to haunt us again. You can see the frustration and hurt of the players, they gave it their all but ultimately we gave away 2 points today. Gary O’Neill appeared not to come around the pitch and clap the fans, his coaching staff did, is this frustration and anger at throwing away the game? Is it a case that he is angered by the chant after his subs were made? I said earlier that it was a must not lose scenario for the next two games, next week is A MUST WIN!!!! I haven’t said anything about Gary O’Neil’s future as I’ve tried to stay positive but even I think that he may be on borrowed time, one win in 21 games is relegation form………..it might be too late for him to be honest.