Struber defiant as Tykes hit bottom
IT WAS frustration all round as this goalless draw did neither side many favours.
Barnsley slipped to the bottom of the Championship table after Luton’s win at Swansea despite only one defeat in their last seven games.
But Austrian manager Gerhard Struber said: “I’m happy with the performance. The problem is the results with the other teams.
“It was a challenge against this massive opponent but we did a brilliant job especially from set-pieces.
“In the end it may be a very important point for us.”
Lions boss Gary Rowett was not so happy as his side lost further ground on the top six and it’s one point out of six since football restarted.
They are now five points outside of the play-offs with seven games left.
Rowett said: “I think it’s two points dropped really.
“There was just a little lack of quality from us with our final ball to make the difference.
“I’m semi-pleased with the clean sheet after how we defended last week but a bit disappointed overall.”
Set-pieces provided the main action as Cauley Woodrow forced Lions goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski to tip over his free-kick then a curling effort from Millwall’s Shane Ferguson hit the underside of the bar.
Another Ferguson free-kick caused more danger but ex-Barnsley striker Tom Bradshaw headed wide of the near post.
Deep in injury time, Bialkowski saved Mads Andersen’s volley before Jack Walton kept out a looping header from big Matt
THIS is the season that never ends for Wolves – and at this rate, boss Nuno Espirito Santo won’t want it to.
Three wins since football returned, seven clean sheets out of their last eight – and now just one victory behind third-placed Leicester City in the Premier League table.
They can’t, can they?
Six matches left – as far as their domestic programme is concerned anyway – and thanks to Leo Dendoncker’s firm drive at Villa Park they are now right in the mix for Champions League qualification.
To the men from Molineux it must seem like an age since they kicked off their campaign over 11 months ago with a Europa League tie against Crusaders.
But they have a tried and trusted formula. A tried and trusted team. And a tried and trusted manager.
An absence of injuries to key players and here they are, mounting a late charge for the top four.
This was their 51st match of the campaign and Villa played right into the visitors’ hands.
Without the backing of their home support in a derby where the two sets of fans have no love for each other, they were passive, one-paced and lacked teeth. It enabled Wolves to do what they do. Retain and recycle possession, safe in the knowledge that sooner or later they could pounce for the kill.
Nuno even had the luxury of leaving star man Adama Traore on the bench.
The ex-Barcelona trainee, who was on Villa’s books five years ago, has returned from lockdown with an added spring in his step.
That pace has been a weapon that Traore has used to devastating effect in victories over both West Ham and Bournemouth during the past seven days.
And he needed just three minutes on the pitch as a second-half substitute to unsettle Villa’s defence and provide the spark of inspiration for the winner.
It was his intervention that saw play spread wide to Raul Jimenez. The striker played the ball into the middle, wing-back Jonny made a nuisance of himself and the ball fell to Dendoncker who controlled before rifling into the bottom corner. The Belgian international was deployed to keep Jack Grealish quiet but he sprang forward on a couple of occasions prior to his goal and Villa paid the price.
It was little more than Wolves deserved. On balance, they enjoyed the better of what few chances there were.
Matt Doherty breezed past two nonexistent challenges but only found the side-netting during the opening exchanges.
Just before the interval, keeper Orjan Nyland fumbled a throw-out, leaving Diogo Jota with a clear shot on goal, only for him to fluff his lines and blaze over.
As for Villa, boss Dean Smith is struggling to solve a puzzle.
His side conceded goals aplenty before the enforced break. Clearly, during that spell the manager has worked on organising his defence, turning them into a coherent unit.
Unfortunately, that has detracted from Villa’s potency as an attacking force.
Wolves’ keeper Rui Patricio was forced to rush from his goal on a couple of occasions, collect the odd ball that was pumped into the box and stay alert at set-pieces – but that was all the hosts offered.