Wolverhampton Wanderers v Derby County: Lisa Smith's Big Match Verdict
Derby, buoyed by 30,000 fans, now sensed an upset might be on the cards with pint-sized striker Kris Commons causing Wolves all sorts of problems.
In the 35th minute, Commons’ looked to have made his domination pay when he found Gary Teale but the midfielder’s shot was denied by a fine save from Wayne Hennessey.
Clough’s side then lost left-back Jay McEveley with an ankle injury just before half-time and that momentary lapse of concentration almost rewarded Wolves with Keogh heading just wide.
Derby, however, were far more fired up in the second half with Hennessey called to save the league leader’s blushes time and again with both Commons and ex-Albion man Rob Hulse threatening his goal in a lively spell for the home side.
And the mounting pressure told in the 55th minute when Mile Sterjovski fired home on the half-volley from a cross from Commons.
McCarthy immediately responded by replacing Sam Vokes with Marlon Harewood and Dave Edwards with Kyel Reid and now the league-leaders were back in it with Reid finding Matt Jarvis who somehow managed to poke the ball home between the keeper and the post from the most acute of angles.
As the clock ticked down, Villa loan-star Harewood – whose impact from the bench had been his strength at Villa Park last season – put through Keogh for his second of the game and the match-winner three minutes from the end of normal time.
The goal sparked incredible scenes of celebration from the 3,000 travelling fans, some of whom unfurled a “We Love Keogh” banner as the player tore off his shirt in jubilation.
McCarthy, meanwhile, was still in denial at the whistle. “We were bloody awful, absolute rubbish, but we kept going,” he said.
“They were inspired substitutions by the manager. It was panic stations let me tell you but it changed the game for us.
“We kept going, it was not pretty. But there are all sorts of wins you can get and this was one of them.
“It was an ugly one but a very pleasing one.”
DERBY: (4-4-2) Bywater, Connolly, Todd, Albrechtsen, McEveley (Nyatanga,42) Sterjovski (Bannan, 87) Savage, Kazmierczak (Eustace, 45), Teale, Commons, Hulse. Not used: Price, Villa.
WOLVES: (4-4-2) Hennessey 8, Foley 6, Craddock 7, Berra 7, Hill 6 (Ward, 69 7), Jarvis 7, Jones 8, Henry 7, Edwards 6 (Reid 60, 7), KEOGH 9, , Vokes 6 (Harewood 57, 7). Not used: Higgs, Stearman.
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