Neves wraps it up with a screamer
WOLVES WONDERS CLOSE IN ON BIG-TIME RETURN
One more win and Wolves are up. They might even gain Premier League status without playing, should Fulham fail to beat Brentford on Saturday.
nuno Santo’s side are not in competition again until Sunday’s visit of Birmingham. So if this match transpires to be the moment promotion was realised it would be fitting indeed.
Derby are aiming for the top flight themselves and came to Wolves buoyed by back-to-back wins. They left, like so many others, chastened by the experience.
Wolves paraded some joyous football, and through their two best players scored wonderful goals. Diogo Jota struck early, a silk touch setting up a smooth finish. Ruben neves hit with steel, a thunderous shot that had the stadium reverberating long after it ripped into the net. Derby boss Gary Rowett admitted it was so good he considered clapping.
Overall it was a display to garland any coronation and provides a reminder that Wolves will be ready to make an impression on the division above.
Rowett’s side must dust themselves down for a trip to Burton. A play-off place is not yet assured and this was a tepid display.
Rowett at least talked freely about the showstopper from neves. ‘It’s the first time as a manager I’ve almost applauded the opposition’s goal,’ he said.
‘I genuinely thought, “What do you do about that?” To hit it with that precision, power, and dip, is Champions League stuff. It is not Championship stuff.’
As well as plumes of smoke from pre- match fireworks, the Molineux air had been filled with expectancy before kick- off. Rather than weighing heavily, it elevated Wolves and the lead was theirs inside six minutes.
A major reason why Wolves are heading for the Premier League lies in the confidence outfield players have in possession and that extends to the centre backs. So when Willy Boly picked up the ball by the touchline he sought to take a risk, rather than play safe.
Boly saw Jota’s movement at the point of the Wolves attack and lofted a pass that cut through the Derby defence to send his teammate clear. Played onside by Chris Baird, Jota had timed his run perfectly and he controlled the ball on his thigh, then swept a finish past Scott Carson for a quite gorgeous goal.
Carson saved twice from neves but could do nothing when he took outrageous aim six minutes after the break. He already had a catalogue of five long-range goals this season but his latest effort topped the lot.
Andre Wisdom cleared a Barry Douglas corner as far as neves, positioned more than 30 yards out. He flicked the ball up with one touch and with his next swivelled to strike a shot that soared high then dipped severely to find the top corner.
The rest of the game was largely an exhibition of the clever patterns Wolves can weave across a pitch, and at the final whistle they moved to 92 points. With four games remaining the century is still possible.
‘We are close,’ said nuno. ‘ We have to be cautious. I’m boring saying this but this is the truth.’
We can forgive the straight bat when his team continue to hit out of the ground so spectacularly.