Wolves 2 Charlton Athletic 1 - Post analysis
WOLVES 2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1
Striker Chris Iwelumo brought an end to his dismal 17-match spell without a goal whilst also exorcising the demons which have been blighting his side’s home form of late to fire Wolves ten points clear of the play-offs.
The Scottish International struck his 16th goal of the season to send Wolves on their way to three points over his former club Charlton Athletic in what was only his club’s second home win in nine matches.
His exuberant celebrations suggested the fact he had to wait since November to break his barren run meant the world to him, particularly on a day when his two young daughters, Briesies and Nevaya had been among the game’s mascots.
A goal from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in a crazy goal-mouth scramble was then enough to ensure the victory after Charlton’s Zheng Zhi had given the hosts a wake-up call. Ebanks-Blake’s 24th goal of the season going some way to appease a second-half penalty miss after Addicks keeper Rob Elliot had got a hand to it.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy admitted relief at the final whistle against Phil Parkinson’s side who are battling now just for pride at the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship table.
McCarthy said: “We did well against a team who came and shut up shop and I am relieved to have won, having missed a penalty as well.”
The manager however did not fault his star striker for the penalty miss and instead awarded him the late scrambled goal which came from a Chris Iwelumo header and which Charlton’s Matty Holland also played a part in.
“It was Sylvan’s goal unless someone assures me otherwise,” McCarthy said.” I am sure Matty Holland doesn’t want it!.”
McCarthy’s Wolves had started the game with just one change from the side who struggled for a point with Ipswich in midweek.
Michael Kightly was back after a hamstring strain for Kyel Reid on the right wing while skipper Karl Henry, returning from a two game suspension, started on the bench.
And although Wolves started brightly, Charlton showed they were not going to roll over and die.
It was the 28th minute before Wolves really got a shot on goal with Dave Jones thinking he had scored after the ball went in off Holland only for referee Graham Laws to disallow it for a push on the line.
In the 36th minute however Iwelumo found a deft touch to beat keeper Rob Elliot for his goal and send the Wolves fans into a frenzy.
With news filtering through that Reading were losing to Ipswich, the crowd seemed to sense that promotion was now far more than a pipedream and the players responded by upping the ante with Stephen Ward and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake causing the Addicks’ defence all sorts of problems.
The second half was only six minutes old however when Charlton’s Zheng Zhi put the visitors back in the game with a 25-yard piledriver before Wolves thought they were back at the races when defender Berra was bundled over and up stepped Ebanks-Blake to take the penalty.
He chose the go right but so did the keeper, leaving the Wanderers’ hotshot with two misses out of three now.
As always though the powerhorse more than made amends getting a touch on the ball in the melee in the Addicks’ defence ten minutes from time.
Scorers: Iwelumo (36) 1-0, Zhi (51) 1-1, Ebanks-Blake (79) 2-1.
WOLVES (4-4-2): Hennessey; Foley, Craddock, Berra, Hill; Kightly, Jones, Edwards (Keogh, 63), Ward (Henry, 45); Ebanks-Blake (Vokes, 86) Iwelumo. Substitutes: Higgs, Reid.
CHARLTON (4-4-1-1): Elliot, Butterfield, Hudson, Holland, Youga, Soares (Ambrose, 73), Racon, Spring, Bailey, Zhi (Shelvey, 87), Kandol. Substitutes: Randolph, Dickson, Basey.
Referee: Graham Laws (Tyne & Wear).
Booking: Wolves – Kightly (foul).
Attendance: 24, 319.
