Wolves and Walsall face-off 20 years go
WE turn the clocks back 20 years with these photographs from the Bugle collection. For the 2002-03 season both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall were in the old First Division and they met in the second game of the season.
The match was played at Molineux in front of 27,904 fans on Wednesday, August 14, 2002. Wolves had drawn their first game 0–0 away at Bradford City, while Walsall had lost at home to Ipswich Town, so both clubs were keen to start winning ways.
Dave Jones’s Wolves team was: Michael Oakes, Denis Irwin, Joleon Lescott, Lee Naylor, Paul Butler, Ivar Ingimarsson, Alex Rae, Colin Cameron, Shaun Newton, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller, with substitutes, Adam Proudlock, Dean Sturridge, Matt Murray, Ludovic Pollet and Kevin Cooper.
Colin Lee’s Walsall team was: James Walker, Darren Bazeley, Matt Carbon, Ian Roper, Zigor Aranalde, Steve Corica, Pedro Matias, Mark Wright, Darren Wrack, Jorge Leitao and Gary Birch, with Danny Hay, Roberto Martinez, Moreira Herivelto, Gavin Ward and Matthew Gadsby on the bench. The first major incident of the match occurred in the ninth minute when Walsall defender Matt Carbon had to leave the field with an arm injury, to be replaced by Danny Hay. As Walsall were regrouping, Wolves struck. On ten minutes Denis Irwin took a throw-in that was collected by Shaun Newton, who played the ball to Colin Cameron and the Scotsman swept the ball into the back of the Walsall net. Wolves almost doubled their lead five minutes later but James Walker saved Alex Rae’s 25-yard shot. Ivar Ingimarsson then wasted a chance when he had a clear header from an Irwin free-kick. But as the half progressed Walsall came back into the game, Gary Birch missing his shot when he was left unmarked in front of goal.
Two minutes into the second half Ian Roper made a precision tackle to deny Nathan Blake after he had been put through by Ingimarsson.
Sadly for the Saddlers, they conceded in the 54th minute; Walker raced out from his goal to block Kenny Miller’s header but Cameron got to the ball first and guided into the empty net.
In the 65th minute Colin Lee sent on Brazilian Moreira Herivelto for Jorge Leitao and five minutes later made another change, Roberto Martinez coming on for Pedro Matias.
With fresh legs on the pitch Walsall refused to roll over for the Wolves and Herivelto pulled a goal back after a beautifully weighted pass from Gary Birch.
Wolves almost hit right back, Walker making a point-blank save from Shaun Newton’s thumping shot.
Wolves made a brace of substitutions, Dean Sturridge replacing Kenny Miller in the 75th minute, and Adam Proudlock coming on for Blake in the 84th.
The result was put beyond doubt when Newton scored Wolves’ third in the 86th minute. In the 89th minute Wolves’ Mark Wright collected the only yellow card of the match.
Final score, Wolves 3 Walsall 1.
Irwin took a throw-in that was collected by Newton, who played the ball to Cameron and he swept the ball into the back of the net