Popular Post John Posted March 7, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 7, 2021 We dominated the first half yesterday and our visitors from the Black Country, could have been two goals down after only 15 minutes, had it not been for the woodwork. The second half was totally different. Wolves having started the game slowly, increasingly took charge of the game and it was us rather than them, that were clinging on to a point for much of the second half. The first half was a marked improvement on our midweek display. The team seemed to understand, that although the fans were again missing, this match meant a lot to both sets of fans. If only we could sustain the same peak level of performance, more often over the full 90 minutes. There was little to choose between the two teams yesterday. Both teams will have felt they had the chances to have won it, but both teams will also know they could easily have lost it and a draw was both the right and a fair result. The positives are that we got another clean sheet yesterday and took a point from this local derby, despite having our talisman Jack, Matty and Anwar unavailable. This season it is our noisy neighbours, rather than ourselves that have a gap to mind, which remains at five points, despite us having played two less games than them. This, the fact that we have taken four points from them this season and that there has been little to choose between the two clubs over two games this season, does represent considerable progress for our football club. My player ratings from a game that ended with honours even are: Emiliano Martinez – 7 – Had a relatively quiet game, but when he was tested, he pulled out all the stops on both occasions. Neto had run from near his own box to just outside of the right of the 6-yard box and having got ahead of Targett, he hit a 50th minute shot, that Emi did well to parry out for a corner at the right-hand post. Emi was grateful that Coady having been left unmarked headed a 57th minute Neto cross against the far post and was doubly thankful, when Saiss proceeded to scoop the ball, that had been diverted across the face of the goal to him, over the crossbar from only around a yard out. Made a tremendous 76th minute reaction save to turn a Coady shot from inside of the 6-yard box wide of his left-hand post. Easily gathered an 87th minute Neto free kick from the right edge of the area, that was hit straight at him. Ahmed Elmohamady – 6 – Did a solid job at the back yesterday. I had anticipated him having considerable problems in coping with Traore’s pace, but fortunately our former winger appeared both uninterested and lethargic yesterday. Headed a 71st minute Barclay corner wide of the near post from the left edge of the 6-yard box. Ezri Konsa – 7 – Solid at the back and he posed a threat in the other area as well. Traore’s 15th minute cross evaded Mings on the left edge of the 6-yard box, before dropping to Ezri just outside the centre of the 6-yard box, but he could not keep his shot down and the ball hit the crossbar, rather than the back of the net. Following a 93rd minute corner and a Patricio block, the resultant loose ball reached Ezri to the right of the penalty spot, but he hit his shot wide of the right-hand post. Tyrone Mings – 7 – Marshalled our defence well and popped up where necessary to stifle their forward progress. Matt Targett – 6 – Faced an exacting test from Neto, who was by some distance their biggest threat yesterday. Matt became increasingly effective the longer that the game went on. Did exceptionally well on 94 minutes to get up at the far post to head a cross that was intended for Neves, who was was waiting behind him to potentially head home a late winner, to safety. Mahmoud Trezuguet – 5 – Worked hard. I was worried that his substitution, might give Neto more space in our half as the visitors increasingly pressed forward towards the end of the game, as he had been providing some decent defensive support. He does continue to be some way off his best, when in the opposition’s half though. Douglas Luiz – 6 – Made a welcome return to the starting line-up and our midfield is more effective with him in it. Had a decent first half but was not quite back to his best yesterday and he did fade in the second, as did we. John McGinn – 6 – Much nearer his best during the first half, but John was another who made less of an impression during the second. Morgan Sanson - 6 – Made a promising full home debut. Bertrand Traore – 5 – Failed to cause any serious threat to the Wolves defence. Ollie Watkins – 7 – MOTM – McGinn found him in the centre of the visitor’s half, and he proceeded to hit a rasping shot from around 30 yards that left Patricio a mere spectator, as the ball rattled the crossbar. How he must hate the woodwork, having now struck it seven times in all, this season! Should have took the shot on, having run into the box on 10 minutes, instead of selflessly looking to try to find Traore and give him an opportunity to open the scoring. McGinn played the ball to him and he hit a 17th minute shot from outside of the box, that was deflected off a defender, thereby making it simple for Patricio to collect the ball near his right-hand post. Trez found Ollie on 49 minutes and his shot was blocked by Saiss on the edge of the box, which sent the ball past the left-hand post for a corner. Barclay’s 93rd minute corner from the left, which had been intended for Davis, was nodded on by a defender and fell to Ollie a couple of yards outside the right of the 6-yard box, he turned and hit a shot that Patricio did well to block at his left-hand post. Substitutes: Ross Barclay – 4 - Replaced Sanson on 61 minutes. A positive substitution made with good intentions. He can hit a dead ball and should have offered us something moving forward. Ross at his earlier best prior to his injury, seemed to have an almost telepathic link with Jack. With Jack now missing nobody else seems to be on his wavelength, including himself at present. A slack ball played from the edge of his own area back into nobody in particular, might well have cost us the game on 76 minutes, but thankfully Martinez spared his blushes by pulling off a fine save from Coady. Keinan Davis – Replaced Trez on 78 minutes Not on long enough to earn a rating. Jacob Ramsey – Came on for Bert after 83 minutes. Not on long enough to gather a rating but looked comfortable in the middle. Up the Villa! John Lewis 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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