Top of the league Wolves at the Turf

Last updated : 14 February 2009 By Tony Scholes

We should have been preparing for our FA Cup fifth round tie, but with Cardiff and Arsenal still to contest their fourth round replay at the Emirates we can concentrate on the league whilst we await the sixth round draw on Sunday and then find out who our opponents will be the night after.

We've had some enjoyable times in the cup this season, but the league is the main thing and with fifteen games left we have a battle now to try and win enough points to get into the play offs.

That will need a return to the sort of league form we were showing in November and December when we won five out of six games.

This game against Wolves is one we so often write off. We all know about the awful record we have against them at home with just the one league win since 1963. Time for that to change.

Our Opponents


Wolves were top of the league when we played them at Molineux back in November and they are still there now although not in the best of form recently. The top teams have been struggling of late and Wolves have won just once in the league since the Saturday before Christmas, a record similar to ours.

Last season they struggled to score goals but this time round they are the highest scorers in the division by far but are more than capable of conceding goals, something they have done in each of their last eight games.

Mick McCarthy added to his squad in January with one permanent signing and two coming in on loan. He paid £2.3 million for Hearts defender Christophe Berra and signed Nigel Quashie and Kyel Reid on loan, both of them from West Ham.

Click HERE to see all Wolves' results this season


They've been one of the front runners since August and were tipped for promotion before the season got underway. They still sit four points clear at the top despite the recent run and they still remain big favourites to go up.

Team News


Jason Shackell, signed from Norwich last summer, has returned to his former club on loan but McCarthy has Neill Collins back after suspension although he will probably be on the bench.

The big boost for Wolves is the news that Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is well after pulling out of the England Under-21 game in midweek with a stomach bug.

The expected Wolves team is: Wayne Hennessey, Kevin Foley, Richard Stearman, Christophe Berra, Stephen Ward, Michael Kightly, Karl Henry, Nigel Quashie, Matthew Jarvis, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Chris Iwelumo. Subs from: Shane Higgs, Neill Collins, Dave Edwards, Kyel Reid, Andy Keogh, Sam Vokes,

Click HERE to see the full Wolves squad


Owen Coyle will still be without Stephen Jordan. It was initially thought the left back might only be out for a week but it is now over three weeks since he was substituted in the Carling Cup tie against Spurs at the Turf.

Christian Kalvenes will continue to deputise in a Burnley side that could remain unchanged from the one that drew 1-1 at Birmingham last Saturday.

We could line up: Brian Jensen, Rhys Williams, Michael Duff, Steven Caldwell, Christian Kalvenes, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake, Steven Thompson, Martin Paterson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Alan Mahon, Joey Gudjonsson, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles, Alex MacDonald, Jay Rodriguez, Ade Akinbiyi.

Last Season


Gabor Kiraly
Gabor Kiraly - his last game for the Clarets
Last season's home game against Wolves came at a time when Burnley were in need of a win to get back into the play off positions, but it we turned in a shocking performance and could hardly complain at the 3-1 reverse.

We started the better of the two sides but then gifted Wolves two goals. Stanislav Varga was at fault as the pedestrian defender turned somewhat slowly. That was enough for Seyi Olofinjana to get in and score. Then Clarke Carlisle hit a back pass ridiculously short. Gabor Kiraly got to it first, just, but could only hit it onto Michael Gray and into the net.

Some would fault the keeper, but he'd little hope after the blunder from Carlisle, but he would have his moment later in the game.

Not long after half time Kiraly, who had been back in the side only three games after Brian Jensen had gifted both Plymouth and Hull goals, did exactly what the Beast had done and let a soft one go straight through him. Incredibly and inexcusably this was the third such goal we'd conceded in three weeks and Kiraly was to pay a heavy price for this one.

It was game over, Wolves really didn't have to do much for their goals and the points. We did pull one back. Ade Akinbiyi got on the end of a Wade Elliott cross to head for goal but it was saved by Hennessey. Ade slammed home the rebound.

But we lost it 3-1 against a poor Wolves side, but once again we'd gifted goals to the opposition.

The teams were;

Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Stanislav Varga (David Unsworth 71), Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, James O'Connor, Joey Gudjonsson (Alan Mahon 56), Kyle Lafferty, Ade Akinbiyi, Robbie Blake (Mark Randall 75). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, John Spicer.

Wolves: Wayne Hennessey, Kevin Foley, Darren Ward, Neill Collins, George Elokobi, Darren Potter, Karl Henry, Seyi Olofinjana (Freddy Eastwood 86), Michael Gray (Darren Gibson 70), Andy Keogh, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Kevin Kyle 83). Subs not used: Graham Stack, Matt Jarvis.

Previous games against Wolves


Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

1994/95

1

h

0-1

17,766

.

.

.

a

0-2

25,703

.

2000/01

1

a

0-1

20,156

.

..

h

1-2

15,483

Branch

2001/02

1

a

0-3

24,893

.

..

h

2-3

21,823

I Moore Johnson

2002/03

1

a

0-3

25,031

.

.

.

h

2-1

18,641

Taylor West

2003/04

LC

a

0-2

18,548

.

2004/05

C

h

1-1

13,869

Blake

.

LC

h

1-1

5,013

Blake - won 4-2 on penalties

.

C

a

0-2

24,336

.

2005/06

C

a

1-0

21,747

G O'Connor

.

.

h

0-1

11,056

.

2006/07

C

h

0-1

12,245

.

.

.

a

1-2

19,521

McCann

2007/08

C

a

3-2

20,763

Blake Lafferty D Ward(og)

..

h

1-3

12,749

Akinbiyi

2008/09

C

a

0-2

23,711

.



Click HERE to see all our results against Wolves