Boss Kieran McKenna admitted that Town’s 2-1 victory at Wolves felt like a really big win, Jack Taylor having headed the winner in the fourth minute of injury time.

Earlier, a Matt Doherty own goal had given the Blues a first-half lead, before Matheus Cunha equalised for the Old Gold in the 72nd minute.

McKenna was asked whether he believed his side would win when Wolves levelled with the impetus firmly behind Wanderers at that stage.

“I think we faced some difficult momentum after the equaliser,” McKenna said. “I thought up until that point we were the better team, I thought we’d handled the game really, really well, even in the second half, to be honest. I thought we had the game under really good control.

“We spoke in the week about how we try and manage 1-0 leads and we felt like we needed to be more proactive with the ball and do everything we can to try and get the second goal and, to be honest, I thought in the second half we’d done that, we just didn’t execute well in the big moments that we had to go and get the second goal.

“The goal comes against the run of play and then it’s football away from home. Everything flips, they have the momentum, they’re bringing on really good substitutes and we had to hang for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, make some big saves, some big blocks.

“What I will say is that I think in the six or seven minutes before the goal I think we went again. The subs came on and gave us good impetus, Jack Clarke had a couple of good runs, Ali [Al-Hamadi] had a couple of good runs and the players at that point weren’t settling for the point.

“Once we got through that really tough spell, we were pushing for the winning goal and a brilliant way to get it.”

Regarding his changes in the latter stages at 1-1, McKenna was asked whether he was settling for a point or whether those switches of personnel were aimed at still trying to win the game.

“There’s a balance to be had,” he reflected. “We try and keep, and tried to keep, enough goals on the pitch to still have a chance. We tried to keep Omari [Hutchinson] on the pitch to give us the threat going in the other direction, Ali and Jack Clarke were giving us a threat and trying to carry it forward.

“It’s a balance to be had. You can’t be silly in those moments, the momentum was against us, but we had enough attackers on the pitch and we believed that apart from the spell when they had the momentum after the goal, we were able to play through them and we were getting some good joy.

“I think we did push for the last few minutes of the game, we had one or two other moments and I think the main thing is the belief on the pitch and I think the belief on the pitch was there that was still a moment there for us to go and get the winner.”

Regarding the mood in the dressing room, McKenna continued: “It’s fantastic, of course. That’s football and these moments are moments to cherish for everyone involved with the club. We’ve had a few go against us this year. Of course, last weekend with Bournemouth was a tough one in the 97th minute, but we’ve had plenty go for us in the last few years as well, so there are no violins for us as a football club.

“It’s about doing the right things as often as you can and we know, and I’ve said it many times, if we do really well this year, if we do a lot of things right, then we’ll be competitive in the games. We’re not going to blow teams out of the water.

“If we’re competitive every week, it means that the games are going to be decided on fine margins and we’ve just got to keep working really, really hard on every tiny little detail and bit of our game model, of our mindset, of our psychology that can turn the margins in our favour and today we came out on top of it.”

The Northern Irishman admits it’s an important result, only Town’s second victory of the season following the 2-1 win at Tottenham, but not necessarily as it was against one of the Blues’ rivals to escape the drop.

“Wolves’ position or where they are doesn’t mean that much to me at the moment,” he insisted. “It’s a significant result for us. We know we’ve been competitive in lots of games, we know we’re doing a lot of good things but we also know we’ve probably left a few points out there this season and we need to collect points.

“It feels a really big win for us, I think any game we win in the Premier League this year is going to feel like a really big one for us, but doing it in the manner we did after the setbacks we’ve had over the last couple of weeks since the United game, really, that makes it feel even more significant and even sweeter.”

Regarding winning goalscorer Taylor, who has now netted in the top five divisions for the Blues, Barnet and Peterborough, he added: “The dressing room’s delighted for him, I have to say. It’s another fantastic story in the group.

“I spoke about him last week, but when you lose these things get lost. But in reality last week, stepping in for his first start in the Premier League having come from Barnet in the National League, the journey he’s been on.

“It was his first competitive start for maybe six or seven months, so to perform as he did last week was incredible, it was a testament to him and the group and how they work every day, and to the staff how they work every day.

“To then not start today, of course, he was disappointed, Jens [Cajuste] is in fantastic form as well and I thought played really well, so it’s great position for the squad that we’ve got two players both doing really well in that role at the moment.

“But as the top person, top professional that he is, to accept and understand that and be ready today and come on and make the impact was brilliant for him and brilliant from him.

“It’s our fifth player now who has scored in every division in English football [top four], so that’s a testament and a statement to the group.

“It’s obvious to anyone who wants to look, six of our starting team today were with us in League One 18 months ago. Jack Taylor, who comes on and scores the winner, was in League One 18 months ago, Ali Al-Hamadi, who comes on a sets up the winner, was in League Two 10 months ago.

“The group’s been on an incredible journey, every single individual in there has got their story and Jack has a lovely moment in his story today.”

Taylor also scored the winner in the 3-2 Carabao Cup victory over Wolves in September last year, a 25-year-old stunner, the Blues having come from two goals behind to beat a team then in a division above.

“It was a tough decision today because he did really well against Wolves last year,” McKenna recalled. “It was a different game and we weren’t going to read much into it but he had played really well in that game.

“He’s a goalscoring midfielder. I can’t say he doesn’t score enough with his head as we don’t put him in the box that often, but he can head the ball and he said to me on the pitch, ‘I need to be in the box more for set plays’ and he’s probably right.”

Hutchinson started on the left rather than the right or down the centre and McKenna says that was to some degree down to last season’s match.

“He started there last year against Wolves and scored and played really well,” he said. “We know those positions for us are two number 10s and we wanted to play Omari not even really as a left 10 today, more almost as a false nine or right through the middle of the pitch where it would be hard for his back five to pick him up.

“And he picked up some great positions in the first half and he was really, really hard to pick up. It was a good role for him, gives us another good option in that position and it’s important to have that versatility.”

Wolves have now conceded seven out of eight goals in three games from set pieces and McKenna says they’re something he looks at in detail every week in any case.

“We focused on it, of course we do that every game, we try and work on the set plays,” he added. “It’s part of the game plan every week. I think when you score one in the 93rd minute, it’s not a routine or anything like that, it’s about people coming on the pitch and executing jobs well.

“It was a great delivery from Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor, who is not usually in the box, steps up and that’s the first contact header we’ve scored this year, and we should have more. It’s a great way to score and a big moment for us.”

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was under-fire coming into the match with Wanderers given their position and having lost the previous three games, and McKenna says the situation at an opposition club is also something he addresses before a match.

“You always speak about the context of the opposition,” he continued. “What their run’s been like, how their form is, how the crowd might be. It’s always something in away games if a team’s not doing as well as they’d like to do, if you start well, if you get the first goal especially, the atmosphere can work against a home side.

“That’s natural that that was something that we spoke about, I think we did manage that really, really well. We had a real good control of the crowd for whatever it was, maybe 70 minutes, until they scored.

“And then the other side of it came in, which we also spoke about before they game. If they get something then the place will light up and the frustration will turn into support, and we felt that for the next 10 or 15 minutes as well. I think those things are normal in away games.”

Reflecting on the progress his squad has made over the season to this point, he added: “I think we’ve learned as we went along. I think we signed six of the players we brought in in the last two weeks of the window, so players needed time to settle.

“If you look at maybe Dara O’Shea, for example, he came in really late in the window, didn’t play the first league games for us. You can see now he’s settled into the team, he understands our defensive principles, he understands our structure on the ball and he’s growing into the team as a leader. Naturally players that we’ve brought in have had more time now to settle into the team.

“I think when you look at the boys who have been with us today, Harry Clarke, Cameron Burgess, Leif [Davis], Samy [Morsy], Wes [Burns], Conor Chaplin, I think those boys are adapting to the level in a way that is an absolute credit to themselves. I think they’ve grown in confidence and have also adapted to the level of the league.

“I think the team’s growing. It’s easier to say it whenever you score a 93rd-minute winner. I liked the second half anyway, we managed the game better than we have in other instances when we’ve been one-goal up.

“It’s nice to have the result to give evidence of it today, but I think the team and the individuals within in are growing are as the season goes along.”

Quizzed on whether he was optimistic for the second half of the season, he said: “Yes, I think that’s fair to say. I think I’ve seen enough in the performances. We’ve been competitive enough in all the games to feel like we’re on the right track in many aspects.

“It’s not unlucky that we haven’t won more games, we still want to own what we can own. We still have to try and improve, we still have to try and improve the players here, we still have to try and improve the squad in the next window, but I think when you’re as competitive as we have been in almost every game, that takes a lot.

“And if you’re competitive and you’re in the game every week, then some are going to go your way, even by the law of averages. Probably we haven’t had enough of the tight ones go our way, so it’s great that today we did.”

Regarding Sammie Szmodics’s absence from the squad, McKenna confirmed that the forward had been unwell.

“He’s been sick for the last few days, so he wasn’t able to travel,” he said. “Hopefully he’ll be OK for next week.”

As for the fracas at the final whistle, which led to Liam Delap picking up a fifth yellow card which will see him miss next week’s home game with Newcastle and Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri sent off for a second bookable offence and Cunha appeared to punch one of Town’s stewards, McKenna said he wasn’t sure what happened: “I didn’t see what happened. It’s an emotional moment in the game. I didn’t see it.”

McKenna’s former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the game and the Town manager was reminded that the Norwegian had a history of late, late goals during his career.

“It was quite a similar flick-on header to the back post in some ways, ’99 Nou Camp!” McKenna laughed. “Ole’s a friend, he’s in England with his family for Christmas, so hopefully be brought us a bit of luck today.”

Photo: TWTD

Vancouver_Blue added 19:24 - Dec 14 I thought Ole was there as a potential replacement for O'Neil. Stupid of Liam to get booked, who is going to be up front next week?
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IP9 added 19:38 - Dec 14 I have to disagree, I thought we managed the second half really poorly and let them back into the game when they had absolutely no right to get back into it. Thank god for Taylor!
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Suffolkboy added 20:16 - Dec 14 We simply can’t afford ‘ silly’and unnecessary bookings ; LD must bring a personal sense of reality and responsibility along ( feel fairly certain his family will give guidance! ) KM so sincere and genuine in his thought processes and never short on praise where it’s due ! Super dooper Blues ! More of the same for 2025 please ! COYB
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Bluearmy_81 added 20:18 - Dec 14 NB or SS can always play up top next week
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heavyweight added 20:34 - Dec 14 A 25 year old stunner ?
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victorysquad added 20:42 - Dec 14 It is a huge win, but we need one more and it has to be next weekend
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trevski_s added 21:03 - Dec 14 Huge win this week but a shame about Delap missing next weeks game. I can see either Sammie or Broady starting up front against Newcastle, possibly even Chappers at a push. COYB couple of big games coming up
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blues1 added 21:04 - Dec 14 IP9. Clearly mckenna knows more about it than you do. I'm guessing u didn't think wolves would have a spell in the game where they'd get on top at all. Never gonna be the case.
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TheMover added 21:29 - Dec 14 The Premier League website still shows that we had 2 players booked, Clarke & Taylor. No mention of Delap, I believe he will be available for Newcastle
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SuperTabby added 22:11 - Dec 14 Interesting that he was talking there about Hutchinson playing a bit as a false 9 today. I wonder if he’s going to take a different approach with neither Delap or Hirst available next week, rather than just start Al-Hamadi. Not sure why people are talking about Broadhead playing there, has barely played this season and I can’t see McKenna playing him as a 9 when he wasn’t great there last year. Sammie never exactly played as a 9 for Blackburn, they had Gallagher or Dolan playing up there. Sammie works best as a 10 and running in behind, expect him to start there next week.

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Gforce added 00:13 - Dec 15 All summed up with precision and honesty from Keiran,take note O'Neil,who as usual shows no respect for the opposition and hangs his own players out to dry.
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SquamishBlue added 01:57 - Dec 15 I'd love to see Ali start up front next week!...
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Len_Brennan added 09:25 - Dec 15 "... of course, he was disappointed, Jens [Cajuste] is in fantastic form as well and I thought played really well, so it’s great position for the squad that we’ve got two players both doing really well in that role at the moment." Interesting comment from KMcK. No mention of Phillips being in the mix, certainly not to be playing alongside Morsy anyway. Maybe he just sees him as a replacement option for Morsy in the middle, with Cajuste & Taylor, and Luongo, operating as the more advanced/left sided member of the 'pivot'. Either way, it's not a good sign that a player on such a wage, who has been fit enough to be on the bench for weeks, is not deemed worthy of playing any minutes atm. All credit to Taylor & Cajuste for stepping up & proving themselves Premier League players though.

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OsbourneOneNil added 10:33 - Dec 15 Blues1 I don't think your point is valid, regardless of whether Wolves would have a spell on top McKenna thought we were controlling the game until the goal, we weren't. After Harry's booking (62 mins) Wolves took control and we were looking more and more tired. They should have scored about 5 mins before the goal, but their forward decided to shoot himself instead of passing. McKenna needed to make the subs earlier whilst we were still winning to regain control. I am very happy with McKenna and his leadership, but I have an issue with his tendency to leave subs until the opposition have scored, or until really late in the game. If we made subs earlier against Bournemouth we may have got the second goal, same for Wolves. Still a great performance and our 2 centre backs are playing really well. Or problems lie at RB where Johnson and Harry have struggled. Burns is also poor defensively giving us a problem that side.

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SuperTabby added 22:13 - Dec 15 OsbourneOneNil. I think the problem is that he doesn’t trust the players on the bench. I think it would be different if we had fewer injuries, he’d be brining on Hirst and Ogbene if he could. In any case the January window is absolutely massive for us, I think we’re better than Southampton, Wolves and Leicester and have a real chance of staying up if we give McKenna what he needs.

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Linkboy13 added 09:37 - Dec 16 Al Hamadi will start up front that's pretty obvious. Broadhead is neither good enough or physically strong enough to play up front where it's very physical and he likes the ball in front of him. Smzodic's also dosent like playing with his back to goal.. How long Al Hamadi will last is a problem but he is the only one physically equipped to play the strikers role. Might have to play an extra midfielder and try and catch them on the break.

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