Wolves undone by defensive frailties
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Leeds United 3
On Sunday 7th May 1972 I was wandering passed the pool in Tettenhall when I noticed a line of what looked like footballers walking off the Upper Green to a rather plush coach waiting on the A41. They looked familiar and indeed were since the day before I’d seen them on the television playing Arsenal in the FA Cup final. I had a double take when I realised that it was Leeds United. There in front of me were Johnny Giles, Billy Bremner, Allan Clarke et al. Even for callow youth of 13 it brought forth a “Bloody hell”.
They were of course here to play Wolves the following day, the result of which would decide the outcome of that season’s league championship. Needing a single point to deny Brian Clough’s Derby County the title what followed made Wolves, as Phil Morgan of the Express & Star delightfully put it, “not only the best team in Wolverhampton but the most popular team in Derby, where the league title will now rest”. http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2015/06/29/classic-match-report-wolves-v-leeds/ Wolves as we know won an acrimonious encounter 2-1 with goals from Frank Munro and Derek Dougan thus denying Leeds a famous double .
On that May night, Molineux reverberated to the sound of 53,379 spectators, a figure slightly larger than those who this evening shunned the comfort of a sofa in front of the TV. Since that memorable night both sides have endured their ups and downs but of the two only Leeds returned to anything like their Seventies vintage, securing Champions league football before collapsing in a pile of debt. Prior to tonight’s encounter both sides found themselves in mid table obscurity so the odds on a tight game were strong.
Which is just how the first half panned out. The shape of the game had barely been established when in the sixth minute a wonder strike from Chris Wood hit an upright, Carl Ikeme stranded. But for the next half hour Wolves were dominant Jack Price and Kevin McDonald running affairs from midfield ably supported by Jordan Graham who can not only beat a player but has an eye for a pass. During this spell three good chances were created all of them falling to Benick Afobe. But the Wolves striker claimed only one when in the ninth minute he ran onto James Henry’s glancing header to compose himself before side footing beyond Marco Silvestri.
As the half drew to a close Leeds got up a head of steam and in the 43rd minute made their momentum pay when Ethan Ebanks-Landell tracked Souleymane Doukara to the half way line. The Leeds substitute, who would prove something of a handful, laid the ball inside and from there it was moved quickly into the box. With nobody filling the gap left by Ebanks-Landell the Wolves defence was exposed Sam Byram hammering home Chris Woods’ layoff.
It is hard to underestimate the impact that this goal had on the game. Whilst Leeds thrived, Wolves went into their shells and within a minute of the restart they should have been 2-1 down when Ebanks-Landell conceded possession the ball eventually reaching Woods who failed to scored. It was a brief let off for four minutes later the visitors took the lead when Doukara weaved his way into the box before feeding Stuart Dallas who fired passed Ikeme. For the next ten minutes chaos reigned in the Wolves defence Leeds failing to punish a series if school boy errors until, in the 59th minute, Byram outmuscled Scott Golbourne at the far post, to head home beyond Ikeme.
Eventually Wolves regained some semblance of composure and in the 80th minute Jordan Graham’s excellent cross was met by Nathan Byrne who volleyed home from just inside the box. But any hope that it might lead to an equaliser proved unfounded and a match, which had for a time promised so much, ended with Wolves empty handed.
Wolves: Ikeme 6, Iorfa 6, Batth 5, Ebanks-Landell t, Golbourne 5, Henry 6 Sub Byrne, McDonald 6, Price 6 Sub Coady, Edwards 6 Sub LeFondre, Graham 7, Afobe 6,
Leeds United: Silvestre 6, Wootton 6, Bellusci 7, Cooper 6, Taylor 6, Birdcutt 7, Byram 7, Adeyemi 5 Sub Doukara 7, Cook 7, Dallas 6 Sub Mowatt, Wood 7 Sub Antenucci
Attendance: 19,592
Ref: Stuart Attwell 8
©Mark Brennand