Wolves 1 Blues 1
by Richard Barker
by Richard Barker
A disappointing performance saw Blues leave Molineux with a share of the points after a full-blooded and frenetic Midlands derby.
Blues had taken the lead through Mikael Forssell's fifth goal for the club, but a Steffan Iversen equaliser earned struggling Wolves what was in truth probably a deserved point.
Following his impressive substitute display against Charlton, Bryan Hughes was given a first start of the season with Stan Lazaridis dropping to the bench. Robbie Savage and Damien Johnson also made their returns from injury, displacing Aliou Cisse and Olivier Tebily respectively. The result was a new-look midfield, with Stephen Clemence moving to a wide left role, Hughes occuprying the right-hand berth, and Savage and David Dunn playing in the middle.
Blues started the game comfortably enough against a Wolves side who already looked nervous as they sought valuable points at the wrong end of the table. Forssell was already causing problems with his pace and control - including earning Denis Irwin an early booking - whilst Dunn was causing one or two problems.
Wolves did begin to get themselves back into the game midway through the half, however, as Alex Rae started to boss the midfield, and Iversen and Senegalese International Henri Camara became more lively and threatening. Indeed, it was Iversen who forced Maik Taylor into his first meaningful action of the afternoon as he pushed the Norwegian forward's long-range effort around the post. From the resulting corner Jody Craddock had a downward header cleared off the line by Johnson.
The rest of the half was end to end stuff, with an excellent Christophe Dugarry effort well saved by Michael Oakes, before Iversen was again denied by Taylor shortly before Craddock earned his wages at the other end by denying Forssell.
When the teams came out for the second half, it was as if the action had never stopped, as the fast-paced tempo continued. Dugarry suffered the wrath of the home fans after staying down after a Rae challenge, but moments later annoying the Wolves faithful even more by setting up Forssell. It was just four minutes into the second half, when a typical jinking run by the French striker was followed by a good ball into Forssell's feet. The Finnish forward took a couple of touches to get past the defender, before firing home with his left foot, despite Oakes' best efforts to put Blues ahead. The visiting fans taunted their neighbours by singing 'Premier League? You're having a laugh!'
As you'd expect, Wolves began to mount some pressure, but Blues were looking increasingly dangerous on the break. The same Dugarry-Forssell connection combined again moments after Blues had scored, but in very similar circumstances, the blond striker wasn't quite as accurate. Minutes later Dugarry was booked for diving in the hope of earning a penalty, though there did appear to be some contact.
After 66 minutes, Wolves equalised. The goal can be put down to the fault of one Blues player: David Dunn. During a Blues attack Dunn got too cocky and complacent on the ball - something which is becoming increasingly and worringly common with the former Blackburn man. Wolves broke, and though Matthew Upson did well with the pressure on to force Iversen's shot wide for a corner, that corner led to the goal. After not conceding from a corner for 18 months, Blues conceded their third goal from such a set piece in 5 days. Rae's corner was misdirected by Paul Butler at the far post, but Camara drove the ball back across the face of goal, where Iversen bundled it in. Whilst Dunn wasn't responsible for yet more ineptness at a corner, Blues should still have had the ball in Wolves' half yet his showboating had led to an equaliser.
Blues threw on Lazaridis and Stern John as they looked for a winner, but they were unable to create any clearcut chances, and a concern will have been the sight of Dugarry being stretchered off. Wolves went searching for a winner themselves, and almost nicked all three points in injury time when Iversen totally miskicked when well placed after yet more good work from Camara.
Although an away draw in the Premiership is not to be scoffed at, this point will have felt like a defeat to Blues. Despite the Wolves pressure, after Forssell's goal Blues looked comfortable and well set to hold on for the three points, but for a moment of individual stupidity. This performance was still not good enough though - too many players seem to believe their own press at the moment with slack passing and performances in general - and with games against Arsenal and Liverpool coming up, points might be at a premium soon. It will be interesting to see at Christmas just how far Blues are ahead of their points total from last season, because the way things are going, it might not be a lot.
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