Off Targett
NEVES’ FREE-KICK LEAVES MATT RED-FACED IN FIVE-GOAL THRILLER
SHELLSHOCKED Dean Smith claimed Wolves’ stunning late fightback was “a travesty”.
Aston Villa led 2-0 with 10 minutes to go before their visitors completely turned the game on its head to win this West Midlands derby in the 95th minute through Ruben Neves’ deflected free-kick.
“I’m still trying to process it, it’s a travesty,” said boss Smith. “We’ve lost this game and apart from that Adama Traore run in the first half, they never looked like scoring.
“Wolves are a good team but I thought we were the better team today.”
Villa’s defence disintegrated as Wolves scored from three set-pieces and Smith admitted they needed to be more resolute.
“I thought there was a lack of composure, a couple of shoddy clearances, while it was a cheap free-kick to give away,” he said. “You’ve got to defend your box better.”
Conor Coady (right) bagged Wolves’ equaliser and the Molineux captain says his family went “mental” when Neves scored his winner in the dying seconds.
“Incredible!” he said. “Honestly, it was emotional and tough. It’s a derby so to win the way we have from 2-0 down is incredible. No matter how the goals go in, it’s incredible. I could see my wife and the boys in the stand at the end going mental. It doesn’t matter who scored and luckily we got the win today.”
Villa had the better of the early chances and Jose Sa saved from Matty Cash and Danny Ings while John
McGinn and Emiliano
Buendia shot wide.
For all of Villa’s chances, Traore should have put Wolves ahead in the 31st minute in a move which highlighted the brilliant best and frustrating worst of the Spain forward.
He sliced through Villa, beating five men, only to hit his shot straight at Emi Martinez, who saved with his left knee.
Ings ended his five-game goalless run to open the scoring in the 48th minute when he nodded McGinn’s cross into the far corner.
The Scot did brilliantly on the right, beating Romain Saiss, to deliver the cross for Ings and the midfielder got the goal his efforts deserved in the 69th minute – even if it was a bit lucky.
Ollie Watkins’ blocked shot fell to McGinn and his 20-yard drive hit Neves’ leg and was deflected past Sa. Villa thought it was game over and switched off to allow Wolves to stage their incredible comeback. First Saiss converted Daniel Podence’s cross from close range in the 80th minute.
Then six minutes later, Max Kilman headed against the bar, Villa failed to clear their lines and Leander Dendoncker crossed for Coady to score.
Wolves sensationally snatched all three points in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Neves’ freekick was deflected off Matt Targett past Martinez. “These are the days I want to live as a manager,” said Wolves boss Bruno Lage. “This is a special day, a good day for all of us.”