Rampant Wolves hit five
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5 v Bolton Wanderers 1
These are heady days at Molineux. Indeed the fear is that like Rip Van Winkle I am shortly to wake from my slumber and realise that it was all a dream. Only, watching Ivan Cavaleiro’s 81st minute goal with the most thunderous of strikes, it looked pretty real to me.
As with Wednesday’s win v Leeds Cavaleiro was again lively and at the centre of much of the mayhem inflicted on the Bolton Wanderers defence. That said it was from a dead ball that Wolves opened their account when in the 12th minute Barry Douglas’s wicked inswinging corner was headed in by the not insignificant frame of Willy Boly. Four minutes later the same combination nearly made it two but this time Boly’s header lacked pace and was comfortably saved by Alnwick. Then on 25 minutes a floated pass over the Bolton back line from Ruben Neves picked out Diogo Jota running from deep. There was still much to do but as Alnwick came out from his goal Jota chipped the ball over him and towards the net. It nearly made it to the goal but required a helping hand from Leo Bonatini who prodded home.
The remainder of the half was a disjointed affair as Bolton resorted to a bit of clogging one such tackle causing a touchline altercation which would ultimately result in both Phil Parkinson and Nuno being dispatched to the stand.
The half time break came at a good juncture allowing a sense of calm to be restored. This particularly suits Wolves as they are better when not being kicked up in the air. That said it took a further fifteen minutes before they added to their tally a brilliant slide rule pass from Jota picking out Romain Saiss. The Wolves midfielder was just about to pull the trigger when he was felled and from the ensuing penalty Cavaleiro buried the ball with the most confident of finishes.
To be fair to Bolton they never gave up but they required help from the home side to open their account when in the 74th minute sloppy defending saw Conor Coady dispossessed and in an attempt to clear the ball Elliot poked it passed John Ruddy and into his own net.
Within five minutes, however, Wolves had hit back through Cavaleiro’s wonder strike and yet were still not done. On 87 John Ruddy’s long clearance picked out Jota just beyond the half way line. From there the diminutive striker advanced on goal before sliding the ball under Alnwick who, though he got a hand to the ball, could not prevent it sliding into the net.
The win takes Wolves seven points clear of Cardiff City currently in second place. Would that that were still the case come May. Perhaps I will go to sleep.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ruddy 7, Elliot 6, Coady 7, Boly 7, Doherty 6, Douglas 7 Sub Vinagre, Saiss 7, Neves 8, Jota 8, Bonatini 7 Sub Costa, Cavaleiro 9 Sub N’Diaye
Bolton Wanderers: Anwick 6, Little 6, Wheater 5, Beevers 6, Robinson 7, Pratley 5 Sub Le Fondre, Henry 6, Ameobi 7 Sub Noone, Vela 6, Armstrong 5 Sub Buckley, Madine 5
Attendance: 27,894
Referee: Keith Stroud 8
©Mark Brennand