Everton boss fragile Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Everton 2
To those of a certain vintage yesterday’s pairing of Wolves and Chorley in the fourth round draw of the FA Cup will have generated a wry smile. Infamy is a word that, for some obscure reason, is getting a lot of headroom currently. And in the long life of Wolverhampton Wanderers it is one that can be attached to Tuesday 24th November 1986. It was of course on this particular night that the Club achieved a notable low when they were defeated 3-0 by non-league Chorley in the second round of the FA Cup. By chance I had been fortunate to attend the first replay, played at fortress Molineux. Wolves v Chorley 1986 FA Cup replay - Bing video From the comfort of a box in the John Ireland stand (now called the Steve Bull) I looked out on a dystopian scene, the rain lashing across a ground on which two of the stands – the Waterloo and North Bank – were in a state of collapse having been condemned following the tragic fire at Bradford. The football matched the quality of the surroundings, Wolves grinding out a 1-1 draw which was good enough to ensure that fateful return to Lancashire and humiliating defeat. It would mark a nadir in the history of the club, Bull and Thompson signing shortly thereafter and with it, reprieve from oblivion. Rarely has “Out of Darkness, Cometh Light” had greater meaning.
Bar two brief flirtations with the top division it would take a further thirty-two years for Wolverhampton Wanderers to attain first class status with a team, a manager and a club structure equal to the task in hand. That occurred in 2018, in which the season opener saw Wolves take on Everton. Up until that point I had always held a soft spot for the blue half of Liverpool, their apparent equanimity in the face of second-class status something to admire. Or so I thought. I watched the game in Cartmel, at the Royal Oak Inn, pint of Coniston Bluebird in hand surrounded by Toffee’s. Down to ten men, but 2-1 up, they were more than happy with proceedings until, in the 80th minute, a Raul Jimenez header equalled matters. A muted “Get in there” burst forth. But it was not well received as the Toffee’s, both men and women, turned and glowered. Ten minutes later, the game having been drawn, out they all marched ill feeling and entitlement writ large.
So as the team’s matched up again this evening, how does the Covid season vintage compare with the non Covid novices of three years ago. “You can’t win anything with kids” somebody once said and that currently applies to Wolves where less experience and diminished grit is offset by greater potential. Concede first also seems to be the current trend and this Wolves achieved again poor defending the cause after only five minutes of play. A long cross field ball picked out Lucas Digne unmarked at the far post and he in turn fed Alex Iwobi who, also unchallenged, side footed home from the penalty spot. For their part Wolves reacted positively and eight minutes later were back on level terms when the lively Rayan Ait Nouri drove to the bye line before delivering a fizzing cross. Ruben Neves still had much to do but his assured side foot hit the net for a well-deserved equaliser. Thereafter the spoils were shared, the half ending with honours even.
The last quarter of the first half provided the general tenet for the second with Wolves possibly the more enterprising. However, chances were scant not helped by failing to use space when it presented itself, Neto a particular villain. Of late Wolves have been fragile and the longer the game remained level the greater the likelihood that they would concede. The first indication that this might come to pass came in minute 74 when James Rodriguez was put through on goal. But rather than shoot he chose to lay the ball off and in so doing a good chance went begging. However, from the ensuing corner there was no such wastage, Michael Keane rising above Romain Saiss, to head home an Andre Gomes cross. It proved the winning blow Wolves having nothing, in the time that remained, with which to respond.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Patricio 6, Semedo 6, Coady 6, Saiss 6, Ait Nouri 6, Dendoncker 7, Neves 6, Moutinho 6 Sub Vitinha, Neto 6, Gibbs White 5 Sub Hoever, Silva 5 Sub Cutrone
Everton FC: Pickford 7, Holgate 7, Mina 6, Keane 7, Godfrey 6, Iwobi 7, Doucoure 6, Davies 5 Sub Gomes, Digne 7, Rodriguez 6 Sub Coleman, Sigurdsson 6 Sub Richarlison
Attendance: Nil (Covid 19)
Referee: Martin Atkinson 9
©Mark Brennand