Noone taunts Wolves
Wolves 1 v Cardiff City 3
On my way to the ground I bumped into a knowledgeable sage and asked “How are we going to get on today?” “Cardiff are in disarray” came his reply. “Russell Slade is a third rate manager. The supporters don’t like him and want him out. I think we’ll win.” Now that the ninety minutes are done, if that’s disarray, then I’d like to know how you create it. In Craig Noone, Stuart O’Keefe and Anthony Pilkington, Cardiff had three diminutive souls who were comfortable on the ball, could pick out a pass and had an eye for goal. O’Keefe hit the bar, Noone scored two and Pilkington linked midfield with attack. On this showing alone, Cardiff were an accomplished unit and more than deserved their win.
Not that the first fifteen minutes would provide any clue of the defeat that would ultimately come, Wolves having the better of the opening exchanges with Jordan Graham again lively. In the 13th minute the home side should have opened their account when Rajiv Van La Parra, recently returned from a loan spell on the south coast, dispossessed a hesitant Lee Peltier in the left channel. From the by-line he advanced towards goal, Dave Edwards the obvious target on the edge of the six yard box in front of the goal. Obvious target Dave Edwards most certainly was. But not to Van La Parra who now demonstrated why he will never make a top class footballer. Rather than feed Edwards, Van La Parra went for goal, scuffing his shot wide from an acute angle. And with it an excellent chance was squandered.
The squandering was almost being rued when, within a minute, a Joe Ralls’ volley went agonisingly wide. Two minutes later O’Keefe linked well with Pilkington, before floating a right footed shot against the bar. With the momentum now with Cardiff it would take them only five further minutes to break the deadlock, Noone’s 22nd minute strike from the edge of the D catching Carl Ikeme unawares. Fifteen minutes later Noone caused stunned silence when he cut in from the right before firing a fine left foot in-swinging shot past Ikeme. In his role as a left footed right winger, there were shades of Chris Waddle and though that comparison may flatter he was certainly a constant headache throughout the game.
Wolves would eventually reduce the deficit when in the 39th minute Van La Parra’s well struck shot was mishandled by David Marshall. Following up new man Michal Zyro poked home from three yards. 1-2 half time.
Though Cardiff had shaded the first period, Wolves were far from finished and one might have expected something of a fight back during the second. It didn’t come, for within two minutes of the restart the visitors extended their lead, Noone again involved. Jinking in from the right his perfectly weighted pass allowed Ralls to strike his shot first time. And strike it he did, rifling the ball into the bottom left hand corner of Carl Ikeme’s net.
And that was just about it. Wolves continued to strive but little in the way of clear cut chances were created, a concern that was further compounded when Jordan Graham was stretchered off with twenty five minutes to go. The Championship is the toughest league in the world from which to escape. Games like today encapsulate why that is so.
Wolves: Ikeme 6, Iorfa 7, Batth 6, Ebanks- Landell 6, Doherty 6, Coady 6 Sub Henry 6, Edwards 6, McDonald 6, Graham 6 Sub Enobakhare, Van La Parra 6, Zyro 6,
Cardiff: Marshall 6, Peltier 6, Ecuele Manga 7, Connolly 6, Malone 6, Noone 9, O’Keefe 7, Ralls 7, Whittingham 7 Sub Fabio, Pilkington 7 Sub Revell, Mason 6 Sub Dikgacoi
Attendance: 24,283
Referee: Dean Whitestone 7
Post Script
Well done England’s cricketers. Root, Stokes, Bairstow, Ali and Finn hint at a promising future. The challenge now is to find a top class opener.
©Mark Brennand