Brave Wolves go down fighting
Wolves 0 v Chelsea 2
A couple of years ago I suffered a midlife crisis. So I threw myself into tennis. As a means of negating thoughts of waning youth it’s not one of the more racier male pursuits, but it provided a focus and has kept me on the straight and narrow. I mention this only in as much that on Wednesday evening I found myself in the changing rooms at the tennis club following my regular weekly game when talk turned, somewhat inevitably, to the previous night’s encounter at the Molineux. A number present had been there, all concluding that it had indeed been one of the worst games they had seen. The moans and groans having reached their natural conclusion a long standing season ticket holder crystallised the mood. “In the second half I found myself listening to a pair of old buffers who sit behind me. As the game reached a crescendo of boredom one of them leaned across the other and asked ‘Have you seen La La Land?’…….”. Some time later, in the club bar, I was introduced to a lad who was back in Wolverhampton for the first time in fifteen years. He now lives in Dubai and works as a pilot for Etihad and as a Valentine’s Day treat he had taken his wife to see Tuesday’s game. You read that correctly. The poor bugger’s now shackled to the sink for a week attempting to bring his relationship back to equity.
Then on Thursday I heard Arsenal fan Robert Peston (isn’t everyone in the media an Arsenal fan) bleating on about how at half time, with the game v Bayern Munich at 1-1, his hopes had been raised that they might ‘get a result’. When the subsequent 5-1 mauling left him feeling ‘distraught’ I thought; ‘Twenty years of uninterrupted Champions league football. You should try following the Wolves mate’.
“Out of Darkness Commeth Light” is the town’s famous motto and in the wake of the game v Wigan one could only hope that light would once again shine and a bounce back ensue. Chelsea however would not be top of the list of teams on which to try out the theory. But needs must and yesterday they duly rode into town to play their Fifth round FA Cup tie. I have no allegiance to Chelsea but they engendered a sense of anticipation at the opportunity to see proper footballers in the flesh. And having now seen Chelsea, in the flesh, I can confirm that they are indeed a side brim full of proper footballers. That said they were made to work exceptionally hard for their win by a rejuvenated Wolves outfit revelling in the freedom offered by underdog status. Indeed for the period that game remained goalless Wolves were as much capable of nicking a win as their more gilded rivals who, for two thirds of the game, struggled to find any cohesion.
The game began in a whirlwind. Within a minute Helda Costa was causing trouble down the right, his subsequent cross causing confusion in the Chelsea box. And then on four minutes somewhat remarkably George Saville hit an upright when it was easier to find the net. Quite how, in five minutes, Wolves had done more than in the ninety v Wigan on Tuesday was a mystery. For the remainder of the half they continued to trouble Chelsea who, bar the occasional break, barely created an opening. As half time arrived the home side were more than good value for parity.
Though not the most animated of manager’s Antonio Conte must have been concerned by Chelsea’s lack of cohesion but, from the way they started the second half, if was not apparent that a half time hair dryer had been issued. For at least twenty minutes the pattern of the first half prevailed with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Costa causing problems. Eventually however Chelsea’s superior skill started to prevail with Eden Hazard, Willian and Nathaniel Chalobah particularly effective. On 64 minutes brilliant interplay between Hazard and Willian ended with a cross to Pedro who, in oceans of space, made no mistake with his header. Wolves continued to battle but they were now beginning to tire as Chelsea found their metier knocking the ball about with aplomb. Somewhat inevitably in the 88th minute a second goal arrived when Diego Costa finished off a scrappy move following a cross from the right. And that encapsulated the difference between the two sides. When Chelsea created an opening they took it.
Manager Paul Lambert was rightly proud of his sides’ endeavour. They had taken the game to Chelsea and with a bit more luck could have caused and upset. But it was not to be and they must now clear their heads for Friday’s must win league game v Birmingham.
Wolves: Ikeme 6, Coady 6, Batth 8, Hause 8, Doherty 6, Edwards 7, Price 7, Saville 6 Sub Saiss, Helder Costa 8, Bodvarsson 8 Sub Ronan, Weiman 6 Sub Wilson
Chelsea: Begovic 6, Zouma 6, Terry 7, Ake 6, Fabregas 6, Chalobah 7, Moses 6, Pedro 7 Sub Azpilicueta, Willian 7 Sub Kante, Hazard 7 Sub Loftus Cheek, Diego Costa 7
Attendance: 30,193
Referee: Jonathan Moss 7
©Mark Brennand