Onward march the Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 v Blackburn Rovers 1
Though you would prefer not to, cast your mind back for a moment to the Wolves side under the management of Terry Connor. Chaos was a word that springs to mind closely followed by laughing stock. Thinking back to those dark days nobody could have envisaged the transformation that has taken place in the ensuing two and a half years. It’s actually shorter than that because things as we know went from bad to worse until the arrival of one Kenneth Jackett. Yes Wolves at this level are a club with resources others would die for. But as we are witnessing at Manchester United, it doesn’t matter how much money you spend, unless you can articulate a method of play and assemble a group of players who will buy into that method of play you will not get very far. Jackett has achieved both in almost the blink of an eye and for that alone he deserves great credit.
There once was a time when you arrived at the Molineux knowing not what you were about to watch. No longer. Pass and move built around the midfield pairing of Kevin McDonald and Lee Evans, allied to pace up front through Nouha Dicko and Bakary Sako. From the off Wolves controlled affairs denying Blackburn possession and their dominance was rewarded after only twelve minutes of play. Collecting the ball at pace Sako ran diagonally across the Blackburn box but was unable to gain the space to fire at goal. Instead he turned and found McDonald whose delightfully floated cross was met by Dicko, whose glancing header deflected it beyond Paul Robinson and into the net. It was thoroughly deserved.
Rather than build on this start however Wolves allowed Blackburn to gain the upper hand and for a period of ten minutes up to the half hour the visitors were decamped in the Wolves half, aided in part by a series of questionable refereeing decisions. Their dominance however was ended in minute 32 when David Edwards was fouled on the edge of the Blackburn box. From the ensuing free kick Sako rifled the ball across the goal and into the net and Wolves went in at half time two to the good.
In the second half, prompted by Tom Cairney, Blackburn enjoyed a further good spell this one ending with a penalty when Danny Batth clipped Jordan Rhodes. Some claimed it harsh but Batth was partly to blame for not cutting out the pass in the first place. The much lauded Rhodes dusted himself off before converting the spot kick.
Though Blackburn were nominally back in the contest Wolves never looked unduly troubled and in the 67th minute they extended their lead once more. Wriggling free in the box Dicko pulled the ball back from the bye line to Sako who with the goal at his mercy scuffed his right footed shot past Robinson. With control re-asserted Jackett brought on new signing George Saville who immediately settled into the Wolves midfield, playing as if he’d been there all year.
There’s a sense that what we are watching is actually a dream and suddenly we will wake up and discover that Dean Saunders is still in charge. Maybe not.
Wolves: Ikeme 7, Docherty 6, Batth 6, Stearman 7, Golbourne 7, van la Parra 6 Sub Henry 6, Evans 6 Sub Saville, McDonald 7, Edwards 7 Sub Rowe, Sako 8, Dicko 7
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson 6, Lowe 6, Hanley 6, Baptiste 6, Henley 6, Conway 6 Sub Varney, Cairney 7, Marshall 6 Sub Taylor, Williamson 6 Sub Dunn, Evans 6, Rhodes 6
Attendance: 21,260
Referee: Keith Stroud 7
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