Wolves drop points through old failing

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Everton 1

And so … the last home game of the season and the first where the mood in the stands was relatively stress free. You sensed it from the relaxed manner in which folk entered the stadium and on the field as players took the kind of risks that might not be attempted were Premier League survival still an issue. One of those who was trying a bit too hard was Adama Traore as he contrived to squander possession all too frequently such that I was beginning to tire of his flatter to deceive status. Then, with 34 minutes gone, he decided to prove me wrong as he collected the ball on the edge of the Wolves D. The afterburners were ignited and off he set gallivanting into the Everton half, three blue shirts trailing in his wake. Reaching the edge of the opposition box he fired an excellent strike which Jordan Pickford could only parry into the path of Hwang Hee-Chan. The goal at his mercy the South Korean fired into an empty net. A shame that the Spaniard can so infrequently manage end product and the reason that nobody really wants him. At the other end Wolves keeper Daniel Bentley had spent most of the half as a bystander such that the home side reached the half time break one to the good.

For once Manager Lopetegui chose to keep things unchanged and it was not long before Wolves enjoyed their best spell of the game. On 57 minutes a flowing move ended with the ball reaching Nelson Semedo whose fine strike from twenty yards out grazed the bar. A minute later another fine move put Pablo Serabia free but, on his favoured left boot, his curling effort went agonisingly wide. And a minute later Semedo went close again with another good strike this time from inside the box. One of the three chances should have been taken. But as has occurred season long Wolves’ Achilles heel is their inability to score and here they were again reverting to type. They were not yet done for as the game entered the first minute of extra time Matheus Nunes added to the tally of non-taken chances when he burst from the half-way line only to fire at Pickford when one on one.

So a game that should have long been put to bed remained live and it was somewhat inevitable that Everton would make Wolves pay. In the fifth minute of time added on Demarai Gray’s speculative cross was knocked down to Yerry Mina who, with Bentley out of position, poked home through a pile of Wolves bodies. The goal gained Everton a vital point in their relegation struggle. For Wolves it was a disappointing end to a season of struggle. But at least the Old Gold are safe and Ruben Neves received a suitably rapturous send off.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Bentley 6, Semedo 7, Dawson 7, Collins 6, Toti 6, Neves 7 Sub Traore, Gomes 6, Hee Chan 7 Sub Lemina, Traore 7 Sub Cunha, Podence 6 Sub Costa, Serabia 6 Sub Nunes

Everton: Pickford 6, Patterson 5 Sub Keane 6, Mina 6, Tarkowski, McNeil 6, Garner 6, Gueye 6 Sub Holgate, Iwobi 7, Doucoure 6, Onana 6 Sub Maupay, Calvert Lewin 5 Sub Gray 6

Attendance: 31,684

Referee: David Coote 6

©Mark Brennand