Wolves 0-0 Town - Half-Time Saturday, 2nd Apr 2016 15:56 Liam Feeney struck a post and Brett Pitman saw an effort cleared off the line but Town’s game at Wolves remains 0-0 at the break. Town boss Mick McCarthy made two changes to the team which lost 1-0 at home to Rotherham a month ago with Feeney handed his first start and Ben Pringle returning to the team. Luke Hyam dropped to the bench, while Daryl Murphy, who suffered a calf injury while away with the Republic of Ireland, remained behind in Suffolk. David McGoldrick was named amongst the subs for the first time since early December. Teddy Bishop, yet to play a senior game this season, made the trip but wasn’t included in the matchday squad. Feeney, a half-time sub against the Millers, started in a front three on the right of Pitman with Freddie Sears on the left. Pringle lined-up ahead of Cole Skuse and Jonathan Douglas in a central midfield three. Wolves similarly started in a 4-3-3 system. The home side were first to threaten in the fifth minute after a mix-up between Douglas and Sears on halfway. Eventually, Conor Coady sent over a cross from the left but Bartosz Bialkowski got there ahead of George Saville and punched clear. But the Blues had largely had the better of the opening minutes, with Feeney making a lively start, albeit without being able to create an opening. On 11 Pringle crossed to Jonas Knudsen at the far post, but his knockdown just evaded Sears. Moments later, a Feeney cross from the right was half-cleared to the Dane but he scuffed his shot wide. Feeney came within an inch or so of claiming his first goal for the Blues in the 18th minute when Pringle’s corner from the left was returned to the on-loan Fulham man. He played it inside to Feeney, who unleashed a powerful low strike which slammed against the outside of Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme’s right post and cannoned behind. After Chambers had blocked from Jeremy Helan as he looked to cross from the Wolves left, Sears forced Ikeme to save his low shot having brought the ball inside from the left after being fed by Pitman. There was a scare for the Blues on 24 when Bialkowski failed to claim Matt Doherty’s freekick from deep on the left. The loose ball fell to Wolves skipper Danny Batth but he was unable to get a clear sight of goal before the keeper regained his ground and the danger was cleared. The home side were now starting to get on top and were looking the more threatening team and on 28 Helan crossed from the left and Knudsen was forced to nod behind at the far post with Bjorn Sigurdarson behind him. From the resultant corner, Batth escaped his man but was just unable to get his head on the ball. On 34 Kortney Hause blocked from Feeney as he tried to turn a Knudsen cross towards goal, the on-loan Bolton man and Sears having swapped flanks. Town should have gone in front in the 42nd minute when Hause allowed Pitman to steal the ball from him on the touchline on the right, not the first time the centre-half had been forced into a mistake by the Town striker. Pitman brought the ball inside and tried to lift it over Ikeme from a very tight angle but the keeper looked to get enough on it to allow Hause to get back and clear off the line. Pitman held his head in his hands, knowing a better option was to have cut the ball across to Feeney on the edge of the six-yard box. Town will have gone in at the break feeling they ought to have been in front, Feeney having hit the post and Pitman having created but then spurned the late opportunity. The Blues had started strongly but without creating an opportunity until Feeney’s shot against the post. Wolves had a spell on top midway through the half, but Town had ended the period looking the more threatening side. Wolves: Ikeme, Iorfa, Batth (c), Hause, Doherty, Coady, Price, Saville, Sigurdarson, Zyro, Helan. Subs: Martinez, Deslandes, McDonald, Henry, Hunte, Mason, Le Fondre. Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Pringle, Feeney, Sears, Pitman. Subs: Gerken, Foley, Digby, Bru, Hyam, McGoldrick, Varney. Referee: Rob Lewis (Shrewsbury).
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