a concerted response – despite having to use Quashie just behind Cameron Jerome as there were no strikers left to call upon – Webb stuck his foot in it again, literally, as Radhi Jaidi’s pass rebounded off him straight to Keogh to set off a counter-attack that was nicely worked with Kightly and finished by Vokes.
Wolves had taken the lead when Keogh got the ‘wrong’ side of Stuart Parnaby to take Kightly’s stabbed, lofted pass and drive past Maik Taylor from 12 yards.
Blues had begun well – Jerome taking an air shot with the goal at his mercy early on – but Wolves soon began to exert their energy and movement to good effect and take control of the midfield.
Taylor thwarted George Friend as he veered inside towards goal and in the 38th minute Keogh struck.
He could have had another just after half-time, Taylor again reacting smartly, but it was left to Vokes to double the advantage as Wolves cashed in on Webb’s ‘assist’ (51). Thereafter, it wasn’t particularly pretty from Blues.
But they gave it a go and actually created a fair few chances; the shot count overall – decent openings at that – told in their favour.
Ridgewell misdirected a free diving header, Hennessey tipped round a Lee Carsley skimmer from distance and Jerome produced a brilliant touch, turn and volley that left the frame of the goal shuddering. Towards the end Keogh cleared Jerome’s backheel off the goal line after he had got in the way of Ridgewell’s goalbound header, and Shroot went close.
It just wasn’t to be for Blues, whose team on Saturday is likely to be radically different to the one last night, playing to the different avowed ‘dynamic’ McLeish wants and that Wolves have.
There were eight enforced absentees for Blues, all of whom would otherwise have started or been in the mix. They may be out of the FA Cup, but their season, and their challenge to Wolves’ supremacy, could only just be starting.
BLUES: Maik Taylor 7. Parnaby 6. Jaidi 5. Ridgewell. 6. Queudrue 5. Agustien 5. (Kelly 83), Carsley 6. Quashie 6. Shroot 7. JEROME 7. Bent 5 (Johnson ht, 5). Not used: Doyle, Martin Taylor, Sammons, Mitchell McPike.
WOLVES: Hennessey 7. Edwards 6. Ward 6. Stearman 6. Collins 6. Kightly 7. (Ebanks-Blake 82), Henry 7. Edwards 7. David Jones 7. KEOGH 8, Vokes 7.(Iwelumo 78). Not used: Ikeme, Jarvis, Shackell, Potter, Hill.
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).
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