Wolverhampton Wanderers v Derby County: Lisa Smith's Big Match Verdict
ANOTHER win, another three points and yet Wolves manager Mick McCarthy admitted he was still a “grumpy sod” at the final whistle.
And despite seeing his young side re-open a six-point lead at the top of the Championship table with a hard-fought win over Derby County, McCarthy revealed the only reason he was smiling at full-time was that his team had been “hopeless” and yet had still managed to win.
Tongue-in cheek his comments may have been, after seeing striker Andy Keogh score twice either side of a Matt Jarvis goal to cancel out goals from Derby’s Przemyslaw Kazmierczak and Mile Sterjovski.
If Wolves win at home to QPR on Saturday they are up but McCarthy is adamant you won’t catch him getting carried away with his side’s chances of automatic promotion to the top flight.
McCarthy said: “I am smiling because we were hopeless and we couldn’t play any worse – yet we won the game.
“We were bobbins except for Keogh and Jarvis but it is just business as usual as far as I am concerned.
“The players have all been out for a warm down, been in the ice bath and the manager is still a grumpy sod.
“We will just do everything properly until it is mathematically certain that we are going up.”
McCarthy’s men certainly made hard work of victory over Nigel Clough’s resilient Rams despite going a goal up inside just seven minutes thank to Ireland International striker Andy Keogh.
Keogh – back in the side due to injuries to top scorers Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Chris Iwelumo – set Wolves on their way after latching onto a hopeful Christophe Berra punt.
His right-foot effort was his first goal since January 31 and his sixth goal of the season and he will not have hit a sweeter strike.
But the home side were back in it on 28 minutes with Przemyslaw Kazmierczak converting a free-kick awarded after a foul on the defender by Wolves midfielder, Karl Henry.
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