Wolves 1 Middlesbrough 2 - Post analysis

Jan 26 2009 by Lisa Smith, Birmingham Post

FA Cup 4th Round: Wolves 1 Middlesbrough 2

Wolverhampton Wanderers provided beleaguered Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate with a stay of execution by allowing him a vital win and the chance to salvage some pride this season through the FA Cup.

But Mick McCarthy’s Championship leaders will rue the fact they could have won this game and attempted a successful cup run, in tandem with their promotion aspirations, had winger Matt Jarvis converted his second half gift.

In the end Wolves crashed out of the tournament 2-1 with perhaps the clinical finishing of their Premier League opponents the only real difference between two sides who could soon be swapping divisions next season.

Boro, with just one win in 11 games - and that was against Barrow in the last round of this tournament - had Afonso Alves and substitute Marvin Emnes to thank for their goals while Wolves could only offer a Sam Vokes strike in reply.

But Jarvis could and should have killed off the game for the hosts after the ball rebounded kindly to him from an Andy Keogh shot.

The former Gillingham youngster teed up his right-footed effort, with keeper Brad Jones sprawling, but fired wide and it was almost inevitable that Dutchman Emnes – a former schoolboy sprinter – should immediately break away and score at the other end.

Wolves felt that goal should have been disallowed after fouls on skipper Karl Henry and substitute striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake on the way in but referee Rob Styles thought otherwise.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was disappointed at the final whistle.

He said “We wanted to win the game and tried to win the game.

“I sent Kights (Michael Kightly) and the forwards on to try and win it and we looked the likely victors for a time having got back to 1-1.”

McCarthy continued: “The difference between the two teams was that they produced a bit better finishing than we did. I made those subs to try and win the game because I’d have taken another FA Cup tie although I didn’t want a replay. I never want to lose a game and am disappointed that we did but I didn’t want a replay.

“We did our best to win and perhaps in doing so left ourselves a little bit open.” Wolves had made several changes from the side which travelled to Bristol City last week in the league with key players including Kightly – celebrating his 23rd birthday – and top striker Ebanks-Blake both on the bench.

In came Sam Vokes who had scored in the previous round against Birmingham at St Andrew’s and West Ham loan star Kyel Reid who went on to have a blistering game.

Boro though started brightly with England midfielder Stewart Downing, Tuncay and £12  million-rated Alves all causing problems for the Wolves defence before both Chris Iwelumo and Neill Collins went close.

Dave Edwards then made a telling clearance off the line in the 37th minute from the Brazilian to keep Wolves in the game.

But the home side could do nothing when Alves finally took the lead with an impressive strike after great link play between Downing and Tuncay set up the striker a minute from half-time.

Sam Vokes threw Wolves a lifeline in the 63rd minute with his first ever Molineux goal and Wolves now enjoyed a spell of possession with star man Kyel Reid causing Boro problems with his pace and his pinpoint crosses which his team-mates could not quite convert.

Iwelumo and Reid were replaced later in the game after both getting knocks and on came Andy Keogh and Kightly - celebrating his 23rd birthday.

After a Keogh shot rebounded to Jarvis and his glaring miss, Boro broke away for their controversial winner leaving a relieved Southgate to fight another day.

Scorers: Alves (44) 0-1, Vokes (63) 1-1, Emnes (83) 1-2.

WOLVES: Hennessey, Edwards, Collins, Shackell, Hill, Jarvis (Ebanks-Blake, 81), Henry, D Jones, Reid (Kightly, 65), Vokes, Iwelumo (Keogh, 52). Substitutes: Ikeme, Foley, Craddock, Friend.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Jones, Taylor (McMahon, 8), O’Neil, Riggott, Alves (Emnes, 75), Shawky (Hoyte, 46), Tuncay, Downing, Bates, Johnson, Wheater. Substitutes: Turnbull, Porritt, Bennett, T Craddock.
Referee: Rob Styles (Waterlooville).
Bookings: Wolves - D Jones (foul); Boro – O’Neill (foul).
Attendance: 18,013.