Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report Saturday, 23rd Dec 2017 17:23 Ivan Cavaleiro’s 40th minute goal saw Wolves a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Molineux. The Blues contained the Championship leaders until five minutes before the break and despite showing more attacking intent in the second half rarely looked like taking anything from the game. Cole Skuse and Jonas Knudsen missed out due to injury and illness respectively with Kevin Bru and Myles Kenlock starting in an otherwise unchanged Town team. Youngsters Adam McDonnell, who was recalled from his loan at Aldershot on Thursday, and Pat Webber were among the subs along with David McGoldrick and sub keeper Michael Crowe, with Dean Gerken out with a hip problem. Leaders Wolves made one change with Barry Douglas replacing Ruben Vinagre at left-back. Before the game had really started in earnest Wolves attacker Diogo Jota underwent treatment after apparently having his foot inadvertently stepped on. But with a new boot, the on-loan Atlético Madrid man was able to continue. Ruben Neves struck the game’s first shot in the 10th minute from distance out on the left but Bartosz Bialkowski had little trouble claiming. Two minutes later, Neves played a clever ball over the Blues’ backline for Cavaleiro to chase but the Portuguese striker was unable to get it under control. Town’s first opportunity came in the 16th minute when Joe Garner was tripped 25 yards out, however, Martyn Waghorn’s freekick flew well over. A minute later, there was a momentary scare for Wolves keeper John Ruddy when he had to stretch for a pass-back played to him inside his six-yard box but the ex-Canary was able to avoid embarrassment. Unsurprisingly Wolves had had most of the ball in the opening 25 minutes but without putting the Blues under any real pressure or testing Bialkowski. Town’s Polish keeper was made to work a little more seriously on 26 when Jota seized on some loose defending midway inside the Blues’ half and after battling with Adam Webster struck a shot which Bialkowski saved comfortably to his left. Garner won another freekick 25 yards out on 31 but Bersant Celina’s curling shot was saved by Ruddy to his left. Wolves carved out their best chance up to then in the 34th minute when Jota was found in behind the backline making a run to the left. However, as he looked to shoot Kenlock got a cross to block. Following the corner, Neves shot not too far over from the edge of the box. The Blues had successfully frustrated the home side for most of the first half but as against Aston Villa and Middlesbrough they conceded a few minutes before the break. Five minutes were remaining when Kenlock was out-muscled by Jota on halfway, a foul according to the Town players, who may have had a case. The Portuguese U23 international broke down the right flank and crossed. Town probably ought to have been able to deal with the ball before it fell to Cavaleiro, who cut inside and curled a shot to the static Bialkowski’s left and into the net from the edge of the box. The goal was the last significant of a half, which ultimately had been a replay of the opening periods at Boro and Villa Park. Town had looked comfortable for the most part despite Wolves having most of the ball, while rarely threatening at the other end, but again conceded in the minutes before half-time. If they were going to get anything out of the game in the second half they had to avoid continuing the pattern of the Boro and Villa games by allowing Wolves another goal early on. The home side created their first chance to grab that vital second goal four minutes after the restart. Cavaleiro was played in on the right of the area by Jota but Webster did superbly to dive in and block. From the corner, the ball was bundled just wide of Bialkowski’s left post. Town carved out their first opportunity of the second period on 56, Waghorn shooting wide from the edge of the box. The Blues’ 10-goal top scorer will have been disappointed not to have hit the target. Briefly Town put Wolves under pressure. A Grant Ward cross from the right resulted in a corner and then a freekick, which reached Bru, who shot into Ruddy’s arms from just outside the area on the left. On the hour, Jota struck an effort over for Wolves but the Blues were showing more attacking intent than in the first half, Kenlock making a strong run forward from left-back before Waghorn lost possession on the byline. Bru was replaced by Teddy Bishop in the 66th minute, while Wolves swapped Cavaleiro for Bright Enobakhare. Two minutes later, Neves shot over for the home side, then Waghorn was booked for a foul on the midfielder. The former Rangers man was replaced by McGoldrick in the 72nd minute after Neves had been yellow-carded for a foul on Celina. On 78 Garner was swapped for Freddie Sears for Town and Helder Costa took over from Léo Bonatini for Wolves. Two minutes later Connolly was booked for a foul on Romain Saiss. Neves curled a freekick well over in the 81st minute with the home side looking the more likely scorers in the final minutes, Town not having threatened seriously since Waghorn’s effort just before the hour mark. In the 85th minute, Neves found Costa with a ball in behind the Town defence but the sub looped over, then Connolly headed well over at the near post from a Blues corner on the right. Webster was booked for pulling back Costa a minute later, Barry Douglas curling the freekick into the side-netting. With two minutes of scheduled time remaining Alfred N’Diaye came on for Jota. Wolves continued to push for a second, their substitutions having given them renewed impetus, and on 88 Saiss headed a Neves cross just wide at the far post. In four minutes of injury time Enobakhare stabbed a shot wide when he ought to have done better after a quick Wolves break. Shortly before the whistle, Town won a corner which Ward sent in from the right and Webster flicked across the area at the near post but without anyone being able to add a final touch. Kenlock’s ball back in was too deep and shortly afterwards referee David Coote brought the afternoon to an end. While Town avoided conceding a second goal, and were by no means disgraced against the division's leaders, they rarely looking like getting back into the match aside from Waghorn’s chance on the hour and the late, late corner, although they showed more attacking intent after the break. Wolves utilised their expensively-assembled bench - featuring £13 million Costa - and finished the second half more strongly than they had started it and might well have added to their lead in the final quarter of an hour when they had a number of chances. The result sees the Blues drop to 10th but still only two points off the play-offs ahead of the back-to-back home fixtures against QPR on Boxing Day and Derby next Saturday. Wolves: Ruddy, Bennett, Coady (c), Boly, Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Douglas, Cavaleiro (Enobakhare 66), Bonatini (Costa 78), Jota (N'Diaye 88). Unused: Batth, Gibbs-White, Vinagre, Norris. Town: Bialkowski, Spence, Chambers (c), Webster, Kenlock, Connolly, Bru (Bishop 66), Ward, Celina, Waghorn (McGoldrick 72), Garner (Sears 78). Unused: M Crowe, T Smith, McDonnell, Webber. Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire). Att: 30,218 (Town: 754).
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