Wolves 1 (Sako 13) Charlton 1 (Wilson 57).
Kevin Nolan reports from Molineux.
A second one-all draw within four days, on both occasions coming from behind on the road, says much for the unquenchable spirit that sustains Chris Powell’s battling side. With their feet now firmly under the Championship table, an improvement in home form must be the next urgent item on the agenda.
Satisfaction at this encouraging result will be tempered by regret that the Addicks came away with only one of the three points they just about deserved. Two misses by an otherwise hardworking Rob Hulse, the more glaring of which would surely have been an 88th matchwinner, spared Wolves an unexpected defeat.
Hulse had soldiered on gamely with threadbare support up front when the excellent Chris Solly made space to stand up a tailored cross, which practically begged to be converted. Instead, Hulse headed firmly but inexplicably wide of the right post as he had done earlier when set up by Bradley Pritchard’s perfect delivery from the right byline. They had chances of their own, of course, but Wolves were undoubtedly more relieved to hear the final whistle.
There were uncanny similarities to Tuesday evening’s game at Elland Road. The Addicks were again given an early chasing before settling down but it was no surprise that they reached half-time a goal down. On this occasion, they succumbed on 13 minutes and there was much, admittedly, to admire in the goal’s construction and execution.
Pace and precision were combined both in Jermaine Pennant’s measured pass to overlapping Kevin Foley and the right back’s cleverly angled ball laid back across the six-yard area. Meeting the pass on the run, Bakary Sako gave Ben Hamer no chance with a searing right-footed volley inside the right post.
Well on the top at the time, Wolves might have moved out of sight had they managed to double their lead. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was a toe-end away from touching in Sako’s dipping centre, while Lawrie Wilson heroically blocked Stephen Ward’s goalbound drive.. Before the break, however, there were signs, most notably when Salim Kerkar turned sharply to shave a post, that the same stranglehold which wore down Leeds was beginning to sap the suddenly faltering Midlanders. It wasn’t pretty but it worked.
Charlton’s growing confidence might have been seriously dented immediately following the re-start but, for once, their luck was in. In bewildering sequence, Kevin Doyle headed back Pennant’s cross for Tongo Doumbia to apparently smash home routinely from close range. Having followed through on to the goalline, Doyle was perfectly to block Doumbia’s sure thing and was ruled offside to complete his embarrassment. Two minutes later, the visitors not unexpectedly equalised.
A bundle of energy as usual, Pritchard sent Cedric Evina clear behind Ward to pull an accurate cross away from keeper Carl Ikeme at his near post. Nipping in alertly, Hulse hit both keeper and woodwork but the rebound rolled kindly to Wilson, who scored easily. With Wolves still reeling from the setback, Hulse promptly missed his first golden chance from Pritchard’s fine cross. The out-of-luck striker did better when sent through by Pritchard but his fierce angled shot was parried by Ikeme.
Comfortably in control, the Addicks were all but undone by Hamer’s absentmindedness in hanging on to the ball too long, his offence duly flagged by a jobsworth linesman; after an eternity of tension, the errant keeper redeemed himself by competently saving Sako’s low free kick. The burly midfielder had a last chance to nick the points but blazed over the bar.
So with two defiant away performances on which to build, Powell’s pressing priority must be to address his side’s vulnerability at The Valley. He might start by sticking, temporarily at least, to the same game plan which has served them so well on their travels to several daunting venues. With his current dearth of strikers, keep the same defensive formation, play patiently on the break and don’t worry about any need to entertain. In other words, if you can’t win, make damn sure you don’t lose- an attitude which might have served them well against Watford and Barnsley recently. A point’s a point and with his brief to keep Charlton in this division, needs must as relegation drives. That’s the theory, anyway. It’s open for debate.
Wolves: Ikeme, Foley, Johnson, Berra, Ward, Pennant (Forde 82), Doumbia, Henry (Edwards 82), Sako, Ebanks-Blake (Sigurdarson 46), Doyle. Not used: Stearman, Batth, Davis, De Vries.
Charlton: Hamer, Solly, Cort, Morrison, Evina, Wilson, Pritchard (Hollands 90), Dervite, Kerkar (Cook 84) Jackson, Hulse. Not used: Button, Green, Wright-Phillips, Razak, Taylor. Booked: Hulse.
Referee: C. Pawson. Att: 22,198.
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Home form is the key and I think Kevin’s call for patience at The Valley is a good one IF…they play the same type of team that puts percentages and “channels” in front of passing and possession. That kind of 50-50 pragmatism is fine if it works. My own feeling is that Charlton struggle at home against teams that “play”, pass it, keep it and probe (remember Brighton?). Barnsley were another good example. The feeling was that eventually they would score, not Charlton. I also think that the passing game has to be the way forward for more and more teams in this country unless we, including the England team, don’t mind falling further and further behind the likes of Barcelona and Spain. I actually had the chance to make the point personally to Mr Powell, whose reply was that he was just there to win games. Discuss?
it’s all very well defending deep against passing teams – but only if you don’t give away daft goals (eg Barnsley etc). The trouble is I just don’t see enough energy and fizz in our central midfield of Stevens and Hollands for us to be able to pass and move with the control that others seem to be able to exert….