The wait is over

Bottom of the league just a week ago and now only just below half way – what a difference seven days can make – and if this was not the fluent attacking play that beat Ipswich it was still a well deserved win against one of the best teams in this league.

Make no mistake about it, Wolves are not fourth by some fluke, and I would think they are going to be up there, or even higher come the season’s end. This will prove to be a very good win for the Clarets and it even had our version of the Dubliners talking about play offs at the final whistle.

There was good news for the Clarets even before kick off, as Frank Sinclair and John McGreal were both passed fit and that meant just the one change from the side that had won on Tuesday with Super, super John coming back for the unavailable Keith Lowe.

Wolves started the brighter but despite having most of the early possession they didn’t really trouble us and we dealt with it all comfortably before getting into our own stride. In fact it was Michael Oakes in the Wolves goal who had to make the first real save as the Clarets broke quickly through James O’Connor. His shot was pushed out by the home keeper who then saved the follow up effort from Garreth.

At the other end Brian Jensen had dealt comfortably with the balls into the box but was thankful to see a Kenny Miller header go wide from Wolves’ first real chance of the night. It was though, just a couple of minutes later that we scored the opening goal.

Referee Steve Tanner, who had a good game, gave us a free kick on the edge of the Wolves box – the usual quartet lined up with Micah Hyde and James stood behind the ball and Jon Harley and Garreth looking to get the shot in.

This time there was no touch from Micah, he and James just peeled away to leave Garreth to take the free kick, bend it round the wall and give Oakes no chance to send on corner of the Molineux stands wild.

It took some believing that we were a goal up here but we were and it prompted our best spell of the game as we put Wolves onto the back foot for a period. Another goal here and we could have killed them off but it didn’t come and we nearly paid the price in the last few minutes of the half as Wolves came storming back and we were thankful for a couple of missed chances.

The discussions in the stand at half time were that we would really need to keep it tight for the first ten to fifteen minutes of the second half, if we could keep the lead during that time, or better still extend it, the home side and in particular the home fans would start to get frustrated.

Wolves unfortunately did get the upper hand almost from the start and it is probably fair to say that they kept it for most of the second half as the Clarets defended in numbers and defended superbly.

We were hardly able to get forward and when we did it was on the break and we didn’t get the midfielders up often enough or quickly enough to support Ade Akinbiyi who was trying at times to unsettle the Wolves defence all on his own.

I cannot recall a single effort on goal that troubled them during the second half and there were times when we had to endure some sustained pressure. At times we looked as though we were struggling to get the ball away but always seem to get the last touch to clear, Brian Jensen was faultless in his handling, and on the occasions they did get through they missed their chances.

Probably their best chance came with around twelve minutes to go when Miller got in a header that beat the Beast but came back off the bar only for Lee Naylor to head the rebound back onto the bar. It was an escape but probably their last real chance as we played out the last period with few major concerns.

It was still a relief to hear Tanner’s final whistle, to have got so far and to have conceded at the end would have been devastating but we hung on in there and won for the second time in three days.

We won’t get many tougher games than this, there aren’t many sides as good as Wolves in this division. We stood up to be counted and in the end deserved everything we got from a performance we can all be very proud of.
 
Not one of the players let us down in any way as they gave everything they had at the end of a tough week that has seen that climb up the table.

Choosing a man of the match is a difficult task, it really could go to any one of them but I’ve decided to go with Micah Hyde who was outstanding in his midfield role. But as I say it could have been anyone of them, from Brian Jensen who had an outstanding game right through to Ade up front who worked his socks off for us with little, if at times any, support.

And I have to leave the final word for our two central defenders Frank Sinclair and John McGreal. Only they will know how close to being fit they were but they both turned in the sort of performances you have come to expect from them. No matter how long Steve Cotterill is our manager I don’t think he will ever make two better signings than these two.

So, we get a break now, and although we are in a winning streak it probably has come at the right time. Things are beginning to look so much better.

The teams were,

Wolves: Michael Oakes, Rob Edwards, Joleon Lescott, Gabor Gyepes, Lee Naylor, Rohan Ricketts (Leon Clarke 79), Mark Kennedy, Colin Cameron (Mark Davies 57), Ki-Hyeon Seol, Carl Cort, Kenny Miller. Subs not used: Stefan Postma, Jody Craddock, Seyi Olofinjana.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Jon Harley, Garreth O’Connor, James O’Connor, John Spicer (Chris McCann 79), Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Ade Akinbiyi (Karl Bermingham 85). Subs not used: Duane Courtney, Wade Elliott, Gifton Noel-Williams.

Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset).

Attendance: 21,747.