Wolves 1, Blackburn 1: Bill Howell's big match verdict
“Points make prizes – what do points make? Prizes!”
Bruce Forsyth can sum up this season better than anyone.
Mick McCarthy never tap-danced, never sang with Sammy Davis Jnr or married Miss World, but he’s played his cards right.
He was dealt a pretty ordinary hand back in August – “I’m the leader of the pack, which makes me such a lucky jack, and here they are, they’re so appealing, come on Dollies, do your dealing”.
But somehow he’d still got to get to the equivalent of the Brucie Bonus Round, namely 17th.
Job done. And when Steve Morgan finished passing around the FA Cup as if it were a builder’s brick, and when Robert Plant finished caressing it as if it were a microphone, then the realisation will have smacked home that Wolves are there – “Points mean pounds and what do pounds make? Rich people.”
Home defeats to Blues and then Wigan seemed to crush all hope – “You get nothing for a pair. Not in this game.”
All that fuss about a weakened team at Old Trafford. Critics calling for McCarthy’s head on a platter for cheapening the game. Did someone just mention Fulham making nine changes at Everton yesterday?
Then came a huge loss in a six-pointer at Bolton. But out of darkness, as one supporter banner says, cometh light –“Let’s have a look at the old scoreboard. Didn’t they do well?”
Safe with two games to play. And in a season where the golden boy has hardly kicked a ball in anger.
So much was expected of Michael Kightly, so much was expected of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
He had somewhat disappeared since January but two minutes after joining the fray here he got, if not the most important goal of his career, then certainly the most enjoyable. “Nice to see you, to see you, nice!”
‘‘He’s a hero again,’’ said his manager. Chair-lifted from the pitch, amid chaotic scenes where thousands of supporters gave two fingers to the poor bloke on the public address system who appealed for them to go home. “We still need results to go our way,” he piped.
But it was like asking Burnley to feed the 5,000 by asking them to win three from three when they’d won six all season.
It mattered not a jot that Wolves hadn’t scored for eight hours.
It mattered not a jot that they’d managed 11 league goals at Molineux all season.
It mattered not that another draw made it no wins in five.
They were safe with that emphatic win at West Ham over a month ago – “Good game, good game.”
Posters within the stadium call for fans to choose their favourite goal celebration. The shortlist is not exactly lengthy with goals as rare as sightings of Lord Lucan.
What has mattered is points and the shift to a five-man midfield from the home game with Liverpool at the end of January has produced outstanding results.
