Raheem’s tempting for Madrid
WOLVES’ triumphant march to the Premier League continued at neighbours Birmingham, who ended with 10 men.
Leo Bonatini’s 12th goal of the season early on put Wanderers on their way to a sixth straight win.
But they had to endure a tense finale after failing to put lowly Blues to the sword.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men held out for victory to climb four points clear at the top of the Championship – and 10 points ahead of third-placed Bristol City.
They were helped by Harlee Dean’s red card. In fact the closest City got to Wolves’ silky foreign stars for much of the game was a series of crunching challenges.
But with home keeper David Stockdale in fine form, Birmingham stayed in the game and Wolves were made to hang on until Dean’s rash push on Diogo Jota seven minutes from time. The table-toppers went into the game without key Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, who was suspended.
But they took the lead in the eighth minute after Jonathan Grounds lost possession. It enabled both Ivan Cavaleiro and Diogo Jota to hammer in fierce angled shots which Stockdale did well to save.
But the second rebound fell to Bonatini, whose closerange right-foot effort was ruled to have crossed the line using goalline technology despite Michael Morrison’s attempts to clear it.
Stockdale made another fine stop in the 23rd minute from Cavaleiro’s left-foot shot from the top of the box after a good run and pass from Diogo Jota.
Blues defender Marc Roberts tried to slow Jota down by taking him out with a dreadful late challenge.
He was lucky to escape with a yellow card.
The Wolves dangerman recovered to have further sights of goal, but the onloan Portuguese ace couldn’t find a way past Stockdale.
The hosts were booed off at the break, and they had a let-off after the restart when sub Stephen Gleeson gifted Bonatini the ball. He found Jota, but the Wolves man was crowded out.
Stockdale soon emerged as Blues’ main man with another save as he cleared from the feet of sub Helder Costa who ran free.
He kept his side in the game long enough to put the visitors under pressure in the closing stages. But their bid ended when Dean got his marching orders in the 83rd minute for a second booking for a shove on Jota.
It leaves Birmingham third from bottom and facing another relegation battle this term. Last summer’s ill-fated spending spree on 14 new players has left City with four loan players, most of whom aren’t featuring, and Liam Walsh has already been sent back to Everton.
But problems remain in the Blues dressing room, where a large disparity in wages has also done little for morale.
It all adds up to a huge challenge for boss Steve Cotterill with just two wins since succeeding Harry Redknapp in October. prompt Madrid (manager Zinedine Zidane) to test City’s resolve.
Sterling, 23 on Friday, has been in sensational form during City’s title push, scoring nine league goals and being a mainstay in their line-up.
He has two years left on the £180,000-a-week deal he signed when he joined City from Liverpool in a £49million switch in 2015.
The Etihad club have yet to open contract talks but are likely to want negotiations to begin before next summer.
However, Sterling wants to concentrate solely for the next six months on what could be the biggest season of his life.