Wolves come up short
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 v Millwall 2
Who amongst you remembers Sunday 22nd May 2011? Wolves v Blackburn, with Wolves’ Premier League survival hanging by a thread. Would we shoot ourselves in the foot and be relegated or would we hang on and survive? Even now the machinations of that afternoon are too remarkable to behold as Wolves went from being safe to being relegated, to being safe again, then down again before Stephen Hunt’s life saving goal finally retained Premier League status.
Saturday 2nd May 2015 had the potential to be similarly enthralling. Should both Derby and Brentford lose then Wolves were assured a play off slot. If Brentford won by one then Wolves needed a minimum six goal win to overcome them. Derby, the form horse for much of the season, required only a draw to book their play off place. At half time hope sprang eternal. Derby were 1-0 down to Reading and Brentford only up by one, albeit it to lowly Wigan. Wolves were up by a similarly margin and thus needed six, a task to which the South Bank would lend their vocal support during an exciting second half.
But come the final whistle the dream didn’t quite make it to reality as the 2011 roller coaster became the 2015 train ride on the Severn Valley Railway. Brentford scored three which meant that Wolves required eight a challenge which, despite their dominance, proved much too great. Thus did they fail on goal difference to book that final play off place a case of so near and yet so far.
On Tuesday night Rotherham’s 2-1 win over Reading had consigned Millwall to the third division. Given that they were down you wouldn’t have blamed them had they just turned up for the sake of it. As it was for brief periods during the game such was the quality of some of their play that one wondered what it was that had finally pushed them to relegation. In Ed Upson and Jack Powell they had two neat midfielders whose ball control and passing was at times delightful. But for all their neat play up front they lacked incision a tag that rarely applies to Wolves. In Bakary Sako, Benick Afobe and Nouha Dicko they have three players who, at this level at least, will cause problems. And in minute 20 it was the ever lively Dicko who opened the scoring, His goal, however, owed much to the endeavour of Dominic Iorfa whose run caused mayhem in the Millwall defence allowing Dicko the space to slot home from six yards.
Despite the early goal Wolves failed to press home their advantage finding themselves outplayed at times by the visitors. Perhaps concerned by their lack of passion Coach Jackett ensured that they started the second half with more positive intent. Within ten minutes of the restart they were two to the good when Dicko collected a pass from Sako, who had stretched to prevent the ball going out for a throw in. From just inside the Millwall half the Malian set off on a mazy run fending off a succession of Millwall defenders before firing emphatically into the roof of the net. It was a fine goal
Within a minute of the restart however Millwall had retaliated Lee Gregory’s powerful shot from a free kick being only parried by Tomasz Kuszczack. Lee Martin collected the rebound crossing to Aiden O’Brien who slotted home. All of a sudden the game had come alive.
For the next fifteen minutes matters ebbed and flowed until in the 70th minute Wolves’ restored their two goal lead, when Sako’s in-swinging free kick from the right was fumbled by David Forde in the Millwall goal. Pouncing on the rebound Ethan Ebanks-Landell prodded home. Ten minutes later Millwall scored again this time following a strange corner from Sako who deliberately picked out Millwall defender Mark Beevers on the penalty spot. From there the visitors moved the ball beautifully to Ed Upson on the left whose cross reached Jamie Philpot. Wolves in disarray he slotted home into an empty net.
Yet the home side was still not done, Sako rounding off possibly his last performance in the old gold with a trademark strike – low and hard from an acute angle - following a short corner on the right.
In winning 4-2 Wolves had done what they had to do. It’s just that Brentford hadn’t read the script, their 3-0 win over Wigan taking them up to fifth. Though Wolves had come up short at least they had won and could take heart from what by any reckoning has been an excellent season. Promoted last year they have more than held their own playing attractive football in the proper manner. Sako may be on his way but they retain the basis of a strong squad to which a ball playing centre half, a ball playing midfielder (to support Kevin McDonald) and someone of skill to play in the hole (look out for Bright Enobakhari) would be on my wish list.
As for Derby matters could not have been worse. Requiring only a draw to book a play off slot they went down 3-0 at home to Reading a team without a win in nine. For the first time since October did they found themselves outside the top six. So it’s not just the Wolves who have mastered the shot to the foot.
Enjoy your summer.
Wolves: Kuszczak 6, Iorfa 7, Ebanks Landell 7, Stearman 6, Golbourne 6, Van La Parra 5 Sub Price, Edwards 6, McDonald 7, Sako 7, Afobe 7, Dicko 8
Millwall: Forde 6, Dunne 6, Beevers 6, Nelson 7, Harding 6, Martin 6 sub Pavey, Upson 7, O’Brien 7, Powell 7 Sub Cowan-Hall, Abdou 6, Gregory 6,
Attendance: 24,480
Ref: Mark Hayward 8
©Mark Brennand