Ikeme saves Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Bolton Wanderers 0
Once upon a time Bolton Wanderers had a chap called John McGinley a name that instills a certain amount of ill feeling amongst the old gold faithful. I never actually disliked the bloke but he clearly did something to attract the opprobrium. Perhaps he celebrated too exuberantly during one of those second division play- off games.
Mention Sam Allardyce and Nicky Hunt however and I get altogether more exercised, graceless and cynical being two words that spring to mind. I accept that football is a hard unforgiving game but there are ways and means of winning and the Allardyce philosophy was one which at times dragged the game into the gutter.
Bolton have moved on since those times, and now have ex Wolves striker Dougie Freedman at the helm. If I’ve got this right twenty months ago he was riding high as manager of a highly successful Crystal Palace team whilst Bolton, not long relegated from the premier league, were floundering. Dougie became their target, a mouth watering salary perhaps turning his head and ushering him north. And what happened… ? Crystal Palace were promoted, whilst Bolton continued to struggle. In the annals of prescient career moves it was not one of the best, but then young Dougie is not alone in having stepped through that particular pigeon hole.
This season the Trotters have continued to struggle, but arrived at Molineux having lost only once to the Wolves in their last thirteen encounters. But Wolves are on a good run and the confidence instilled by that was very much in evidence during a first half in which once again they dominated possession without ever creating a clear cut chance. Only Danny Batth’s header from a James Henry corner extended Andy Lonergan in the Bolton goal and as the half ran down one sensed that parity would prevail. Then three minutes short of the break a James Henry cross was deflected into the air. Ever alert Nouho Dicko beat Lonergan to the ball to flick it beyond him and into the net. It was a strange goal but perhaps deserved given the home sides dominance.
The second period however proved a wholly different affair as Bolton took control for prolonged periods prompted by the pace and purpose of half time substitute Jermaine Beckford. Beckford seems feted to be a perpetual nearly man. It was his jinking run which resulted in Danny Batth conceding a penalty when he brought him down in the box. And later a beautiful slide rule pass to Liam Feeney opened up the Wolves defence. Yet for some unknown reason he fails to secure a regular starting berth.
Of the penalty Carl Ikeme made a brilliant save diving to his left to deny Owen Garvan and then saved the follow up. He then made an equally excellent stop to deny Feeney from the Beckford slide rule and without him Wolves would have probably fallen behind as they struggled to reproduce the first half fluidity.
In the end the home side were reduced to grinding it out. But every now and again that is what’s required if you wish to escape the Championship.
Wolves: Ikeme 9, Docherty 6, Batth 6, Stearman 6, Golbourne 6, Henry 7 Sub Rowe, Evans 6, MacDonald 7, Edwards 6 Sub Saville, Sako 7, Dicko 6 Sub Clarke 6
Bolton Wanderers Lonergan 6, Ream 6, Dervite 6, Mills 6, Moxey 6, Feeney 7, Spearing 6, Garvan 6 Sub Davies, Yong 6, Mason 5 Sub Danns, Davies 6 Sub Beckford 7
Attendance: 22,695
Referee: Andy Madley 7
Archive at; www.youneverplayedthegame.blog.com