Late winner sinks dominant Wolves
15th December 2019
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Tottenham Hotspur 2
Sport, in whatever guise one encounters it, can be a cruel affair. Were it not Colin Montgomery would have been a major champion, Ron Clarke would have been an Olympic champion and Holland would have won the FIFA World Cup in 1974. Fast forward to the 15th December 2019 and Wolves would have comfortably beaten Tottenham Hotspur. But as it was they didn’t, an injury time header by Jan Vertonghen sealing the game for Spurs.
From start to end of this enthralling encounter, which was partially diluted by weak refereeing, Wolves were dominant. They moved the ball about with fluidity and created chances. But on more occasions than not the rub of the green went against them such that following the start of the second half, when Adama Troare and Matt Doherty both got to the by line only to see their crosses scrambled to safety, I thought that it’s not going to be Wolves’ day.
By then they had spent most of the first half in arrears, a Lucas Moura goal in minute 8 the cause of the deficit. Even that had been against the run of play although no-one could deny its quality as Moura wriggled his way into the box before rifling the ball into the net passed a rather startled Rui Patricio. Wolves controlled the remainder of the half against a Tottenham side redolent of the influence of the recently installed Jose Mourinho – flying fullbacks and midfield playmakers discarded for muscle allied to marshalling ten men behind the ball as often as was possible. The new pragmatism is in marked contrast to Mourinho’s predecessor and if I were Harry Winks I’d be asking my agent to start touting me around.
Despite my natural pessimism eventually Wolves dominance told when in minute 66 Traore picked the ball up on the edge of the Spurs box. Three on three for the first time in a while the Spaniard shifted the ball to his right foot before firing a bullet passed Paulo Gazziniga. Molineux erupted. In minute 83 the home faithful were nearly out of their seats again when Romain Saiss’s glancing header was well saved by Gazziniga.
That seemed to be about it but as the game went into time added on Leander Dendoncker committed a needless foul on Harry Kane when the latter was going nowhere. From the ensuing free kick Wolves conceded a corner and it was from that corner that Vertonghen headed home.
The goal ended Wolves’ eleven game unbeaten run but it leaves the Old Gold in a creditable eighth position. That said, with Christmas fixtures against Manchester City and Liverpool to come, next Saturday’s encounter away at Norwich becomes a must win.
Wolves: Patricio 6, Dendoncker 6, Coady 7, Saiss 7, Doherty 6, Castro Otto 7, Neves 8, Moutinho 8, Traore 8, Jota 7, Jimenez 7
Tottenham Hotspur: Gazziniga 6, Aurier 6, D Sanchez 6, Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 7, Sissoko 6, Dier 6, Moura 7 Sub Eriksen, Alli 7 Sub Winks, Son Heung Min 6 Sub Foyth, Kane 6
Attendance: 31,674
Referee: Stuart Attwell 7
©Mark Brennand