Neves wonder goal rocks Rams
RUBEN NEVES conjured up a goal of the season contender to add to the Molineux fireworks last night.
The classy Portuguese youngster floored Derby with an absolute stunner of a strike.
Fans were treated to fireworks just before kick-off and the 21-year-old came up with a real cracker.
Pure class is the only description as the midfielder rifled home a volley from the best part of 30 yards to leave Scott Carson clutching fresh air.
Neves pounced after Derby had cleared a corner, took it in the air, volleyed it back up and, when the ball dropped, unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner in the 51st minute.
Wolves went into the game knowing that victory would push them within a whisker of clinching their Premier League ticket this weekend.
It would leave them needing two points to nail down one of the promotion places.
That’s always been the priority having led all season – the small matter of the title can be sorted out later. They did not waste any time going about their business, taking the lead through Diogo Jota after six minutes.
Apart from a scare after two minutes when Derby forward Andreas Weimann curled a shot onto the top of the net from 20 yards, Wolves settled quickly.
Pounce
They looked comfortable on the ball from the start and they made the Rams defence look like Terracotta Warriors when they plundered their opening goal.
Willy Boly quite literally left the visitors defence standing when he clipped a ball over the back line to find Jota ready to pounce.
Derby’s defenders did not get a look in and seemed to watch in horror as Jota killed the ball dead on his left thigh, turned and clipped the ball over Carson who was stranded. Minutes later the big keeper had to scramble out of his goal to smother at the feet of Benik Afobe as Wolves tried to take care of matters.
Shortly after Carson was called into action again to deal with a troublesome dipping shot from the classy Neves who had pulled the trigger from 20 yards.
Tom Huddlestone forced John Ruddy to snatch his long shot out of the air but, that apart, Derby were having trouble making inroads up front.
Afobe sent a header narrowly over after Ivan Cavaleiro found him with a cross and shortly before half-time Neves went close again.
He managed to curl his free-kick around the six-man wall but there was Carson on hand again to palm it over the top.
Rams boss Gary Rowett would no doubt have emphasised the need for far more urgency from his men.
It is not as if nothing was resting on it for his fifth-placed side who need to book their play-off ticket without their usual end of season jitters.