Weimann goal seals win
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Rotherham United 0
When in July of last year Fosun decided to dip their toe into the exotic world of English second division football it is unlikely that, seven months on, they imagined being engaged in a relegation dogfight. Bar the FA cup wins against Stoke and Liverpool the football since the turn of the year has been awful. When Paul Lambert arrived he made some early changes which seemed to me to indicate that he knew what he was doing. Now I’m not so sure. Like his predecessor he is becoming bamboozled by choice. The Wolves squad is huge, overflowing with half decent footballers who, unless they play together regularly, are incapable of forming a cohesive unit. Lambert is constantly tinkering hoping against hope that his next line up will gel and provide him with the golden bullet. But it’ not happening and as a consequence Wolves find themselves at the foot of the table.
The last time I made the journey to Molineux the visitors were Wigan. That game was up there with the worst I have ever witnessed and it was only today’s result that prevented a similar assessment. Rotherham were rubbish, Wolves only marginally less so. Within the first twenty minutes the visitors were twice gifted one on one opportunities, on both occasions the hapless Danny Ward firing his attempts at the advancing Carl Ikeme. Somewhat riding their luck on thirty three minutes Wolves launched the ball in the general direction of Helda Costa who, harrying Joe Mattock, managed to dispossess him in the eighteen yard box. As he did so Mattock brought him down, referee Jeremy Simpson pointing to the spot. The significance of the penalty could not have escaped young Costa which is possibly why his attempt was saved, Liam Price diving the correct way to parry the ball to safety.
The first half looked for all the world like ending in stale mate when Ben Marshall, who had looked lively through-out, found Andreas Weimann beyond the Rotherham back line. Wriggling his way free of first Semi Ajayi and then Price he found himself facing an open net which gratefully received his effort.
One might think that the goal would have calmed the home side’s nerves. But if it did, it wasn’t apparent in their football. Rarely during the second half did Wolves put a move together the exception being minute 61 when a lovely reverse pass from Jack Price created space for make shift left back George Saville. His pull back evaded everyone until it was collected by Helder Costa whose cross ended with a rather tame glancing header from David Edwards. That and a decent effort from substitute Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was the sum total of Wolves’ attempts on goal and it was only good fortune that spared embarrassment when in time added on Ajayi blasted over from only six yards out.
The game ended on a high as Wolves engaged in a bout of time wasting, all of which added to the quality of the afternoon’s entertainment.
Wolves: Ikeme 7, Coady 7, Williamson 6, Hause 6, Saville 6, Price 6 Sub Gibbs White, Saiss 6, Edwards 5, Marshall 7 Sub Cavaleiro, Costa 6 Sub Bodvarsson, Weimann 7
Rotherham: Price 6, Vaulks 6, Ajayi 5, Belaid 6, Mattock 6, Forde 5 Sub Bray, Smallwood 6 Sub Yates, Frecklington 6, Newell 6 Sub Taylor, Adeyemi 5, Ward 5
Attendance: 20,077
Referee: Jeremy Simpson 8
©Mark Brennand