Wolves 0, Wigan 2: Bill Howell's big match verdict
If only Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (‘Ebanks-Blank’ might be more appropriate) had poked inside the post and not around it with the sort of chance that even Stan or Ollie would have snaffled.
Nenad Milijas sent an early set-piece a whisker wide, that man Ebanks-Blake nodded into the side netting and substitute Chris Iwelumo forced Chris Kirkland into a fine save in the dying moments.
But that was about it.
In contrast, Wigan could have netted a cricket score – and a South African one at that.
It says much about Wolves’ troubles that Marcus Hahnemann stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Not even Kevin Doyle on yet another particularly impressive afternoon could get close to the giant American, whose hands at times looked as big as dinner plates.
Time and time again he thwarted Wigan and in particular Hugo Rodallega who, together with Charles N’Zogbia, continually stretched Wolves’ back-line to breaking point. Hahnemann’s penalty save from Rodallega was clearly the pick of a number of saves. Elsewhere the post and an appalling open-goal miss from Paul Scharner from the penalty rebound helped prevent a more one-sided defeat.
McCarthy was right in saying there was little in it before Stearman’s exit. Wigan were playing the prettier football and created some golden chances but Wolves, backed by a noisy and buoyant crowd, always carried a threat.
At this time Doyle was sublime. But such was Wigan’s dominance before and even after Hendry Thomas’ dismissal for a second booking when he almost, but not quite, made contact with Stephen Ward, that long before the end Molineux was resembling a ghost town, a fast emptying shell.
Michael Mancienne is clearly no Premier League centre-back and his selection ahead of Christophe Berra was slightly baffling. His constant errors unnerved those around him.
Stephen Ward has undoubted class but by the end he had no answer to N’Zogbia whose trickery had a major hand in the first goal, despatched by McCarthy. His solo goal soon afterwards capped a fine display from a player who has sometimes flattered to deceive but can undoubtedly play at the highest level.
Jody Craddock’s 200th appearance was thus not a memorable one although the defender did little wrong. Too many failed to show. Kevin Foley gave too little in the way of creativity, Karl Henry shone for a time but faded and got riled by some whistle-happy refereeing from Howard Webb, Milijas was invisible, Matt Jarvis was in and out and Ebanks-Blake was floundering in his own pity.
Wolves have bounced back before in the face of adversity.
Against a Liverpool side without Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun and perhaps Steven Gerrard they must do so again before all hope begins to fade.
