Wolves win at a canter
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 v Fulham FC 0
It seems like an age since Wolves stumbled across the line against a stubborn Preston North End unit. Since when England’s U17 boys have won the Football World Cup, Lewis Hamilton has claimed his 4th F1 driver’s championship and Prue Leith’s dyspraxic Tweet blew open the oven door on Ch4’s first Bake Off final. As for the Old Gold they caused a scare at the Etihad before going down rather tamely against Queens Park Rangers. However Tuesday’s impressive 2-0 win away at Norwich City got them back on track and it was thus with much anticipation that I wandered up the Newhampton Road pondering the evening’s game.
Fulham are regarded as one of the better footballing sides in the championship. If that is the case then they have a long way to go to match the skill and endeavour of Wolverhampton Wanderers as the home side once again dominated proceedings. The only mystery was the scoreline, for given their dominance, Wolves should have won by four.
As it was they had to make do with two, both goals coming in the first half and both from dead balls delivered from the excellent left foot of Barry Douglas.
The first arrived in the 8th minute Romain Saiss heading in a right wing corner following a bright start by the home side. The second came from a searing free kick again from the right only this time it was Leo Bonatini heading in and in the process taking his season tally to ten goals.
It took fifty minutes for Fulham to create their first chance Floyd Ayite’s effort shaving the right post. But that was about it as Wolves went into overdrive creating a raft of second half chances the best of which fell to Diogo Jota in the 70th minute. Somewhat uncharacteristically the Portuguese striker’s control was insufficiently crisp for him to get a timely strike on goal. Some three minutes later as Wolves unpicked the Fulham defence yet again with another flowing move, the sage two seats away exclaimed “I can’t believe what I’m watching”.
A weird mood has descended upon Molineux. A fan base not noted for its optimism is bemused by what is happening on the field. Yet in phone ins is already predicting promotion. There is still two thirds of the season to go but from how Wolves are set up, how they are working for one another and are creating chances, the prospect of promotion is far from pie in the sky.
How about Tweeting that Prue?
Wolves: Ruddy 6, Bennett 6, Coady 7, Boly 7 Sub N’Daiye, Doherty 6, Neves 8, Saiss 7, Jota 7, Douglas 7, Cavaleiro 6 Enobakhare, Bonatini 7 Sub Marshall
Fulham: Button 6, Fredericks 6, Odoi 6, Rean 7, Sessegnon 6, Norwood 6, McDonald 6, Johansen 6, Ayite 6 Sub Soares Alves, Da Rocha Fonte 6 Sub Kamara, Kebano 5 Sub Mollo
Attendance: 24,388
Referee: David Coote 8
©Mark Brennand