Wolves edge tetchy derby

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Aston Villa 1

First things first. Adjudicating football matches is not easy. Not only do the on-field participants disagree with many of the decisions you make, so too do the majority of the thirty odd thousand spectators assembled in the stadium. A referee cannot do right for doing wrong and it possibly explains why not a single premier league player has taken up the role. They know the job is too difficult the stick too unfairly ascribed. When a game is well adjudicated the referee is invisible. When not they become the centre of attention which is how things panned out today for poor Darren England. He sensed he was losing control but, in an attempt to regain it, yellow cards were brandished with ever more profligacy. This merely served to have the opposite effect to that which was intended. On-field behaviour deteriorated, resulting in three rather tetchy end of game scuffles. Which was a shame because for the most part this was a lively encounter one that Wolves should have sealed in the first half and, but for more clinical finishing from Ollie Watkins, could have lost in the second.

As with the game against Leeds, Wolves went into the half time break two up, an early goal from Jonny and an own goal from Ashley Young separating the two sides. It should have been three but just short of half time Leander Dendoncker made a complete hash of a good opportunity slicing his left footed effort wide from inside the box.

Despite their lead at no time during the first half had Wolves controlled affairs and it was the same in the second only this time it was the visitors who were creating the better opportunities. In minute 55 Ollie Watkins stole a march on the Wolves back four but his attempted effort to curl the ball inside the far post went wide. Fifteen minutes later substitute Hee-Chan fired wide when well placed and a couple of minutes later Watkins was again free on goal only for Sa to save well. Ten minutes later this pair went head to head again only for Sa to once more win the duel. It would take a penalty for Watkins to partially make amends, the foul leading to the spot kick another questionable decision. Had the Villa goal arrived with ten minutes remaining it would have made for a nervy finish. But there was only two, and Wolves held on, the win moving them up to seventh and boosting their chances of a European berth.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 8, Castro Otto 7, Boly 6, Coady 6, Kilman 7, Marcal 6, Moutinho 8, Dendoncker 6, Podence 7 Sub Hee-Chan, Trincao 6 Sub Neto, Silva 8 Sub Oliveira

Aston Villa: Martinez 6, Cash 6, Konsa 6, Mings 6, Digne Sub Young 6, Sanson 6 Sub Douglas-Luiz 6, McGinn 7, Ramsey 5, Coutinho 6 Sub Buendia, Bailey 6, Watkins 6

Attendance: 31,012

Referee: D England 6

©Mark Brennand