United edge seven goal roller coaster
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 v Manchester United 4
Close on five weeks have passed since Wolverhampton Wanderers reached heights last seen during the Nuno years, when they outplayed Everton to record a year ending 3-0 victory. Since when Brentford FC and West Bromwich Albion have been despatched from the FA Cup and in the Premier League a creditable 0-0 draw away at Brighton was also achieved. Evident in all these performances has been a level of confidence that was clearly missing during the opening twenty minutes of the game v Chelsea. Indeed, so poor were those opening minutes that I started to fret that if we didn’t turn things around defeat would ensue and the Club would be back in the mire of relegation. Seventy minutes later and the tide had been duly turned. Where once Matheus Cunha was inept in front of goal, he now looks a constant threat. Pedro Neto is fit once again and back to his marauding best. To the strong midfield pairing of Mario Lamina and Joao Gomez comes Tommy Doyle, who is developing into a fine playmaker. And the dreary passing of the ball around the back five, in an effort to retain possession, is a thing of the past. Wolves’ fans will recall, with some relish, the two era defining performances against Manchester United in the spring of 2019 when they outplayed them twice in the space of six weeks. Despite an irritatingly late start could Wolves harness the recent boost in form to repeat the feat?
Had you answered that question after 45 minutes the response would have been a resounding no, the difference between the two sides a gap the size of the Grand Canyon. Where United were slick and clinical Wolves were slow and disjointed and were it not for two disallowed offside goals, they would have gone in at half time four down. As it was they were still two down, a fine opener from Marcus “Naughty Step” Rashford in minute five being added to in minute 17 by an own goal following a low Luke Shaw cross. For Wolves, a Tommy Doyle free kick on the half hour, was their sole riposte.
Wolves Manager Gary O’Neill would have been concerned by how poorly his side had performed but any evidence that his half time team talk had steadied the ship was soon dispelled as Toti lost the ball and was only spared embarrassment by good defending by Craig Dawson. Then Max Kilman had a header cleared off the line and in minute 57 Dawson saw his effort similarly denied. Wolves were edging their way back into the game and ten minutes later Pedro Neto was brought down in the box by Casemiro. Referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot and Pablo Sarabia duly converted. Thus started tit for tat scoring beginning with Scott McTominay who literally scored with his first touch of the game, a header following a Bruno Fernandez corner in the 74th minute. Ten minutes later Kilman added purchase to a Dawson header to narrow the deficit and as the game slipped into time added on Wolves hit the visitors with a brilliant counter-attack initiated by Cunha. Feeding Pedro Neto the Portuguese striker still had much to do. But cutting in from the right on his left foot he unleashed a fine strike which wrong footed Onana to end in the net. Molineux erupted.
The elation, sadly, was short lived when from the restart United advanced deep into Wolves territory the ball ending with Kobbie Mainoo. The 18 year old nutmegged Kilman before curling a fine strike beyond the outstretched arm of Jose Sa to claim his first Premier League goal and break Wolves’ hearts.
It’s time I went to bed.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 6, Semedo 8, Dawson 7, Kilman 7, Gomes 6 Sub Fraser, Doherty 5 Sub Ait Nourri, Doyle 8 Sub Gomes, Lamina 7, Neto 8, Bellegarde 6 Sub Sarabia, Cunha 7
Manchester United: Onana 6, Dalot 6, Varane 6, Li Matinez 6 Sub Maguire, Shaw 8, Mainoo 8, Casemiro 7 Sub McTominay, Garnacho 6 Sub Evans, Fernandes 8, Rashford 8 Sub Antony, Hojland 7 Sub Forson
Attendance: 31,641
Referee: Jarred Gillett 8
©Mark Brennand