Junior’s joy as City recover to celebrate boss’ birthday

JUNIOR Hoilett opened his Cardiff City account for the season in the best possible fashion, his magical 77th-minute goal sealing a stunning 2-1 win over Wolves.

The Bluebirds went behind early to Matt Doherty’s goal, but fought back brilliantly with goals from Aron Gunnarsson and then Hoilett digging Neil Warnock’s side out of the Premier League bottom three.

It was sweet revenge for Warnock over opposite number Nuno Espirito Santo, with whom he had rowed following Wolves’ 1-0 win at the same ground in an April promotion showdown.

There had been calls from supporters for Warnock to drop midfielder Joe Ralls in place of winger Josh Murphy, but it was Greg Cunningham who was to be the fall guy from the 1-0 defeat to Everton, with Warnock accommodating both Ralls and Murphy in his starting XI.

And the latter, playing a central midfield role in a 3-5-2, was presented with the game’s first shot in anger, flashing wide after five minutes.

Murphy, too, was prominent from the start, charging at Wolves’ skipper Conor Coady and causing problems with his pace.

Yet the Wolves opener defied the Bluebirds’ positive start and everything we’ve come to expect from this Warnock team.

Again – frustratingly – it came from a setpiece, Raul Jimenez glancing a header goalwards – which Neil Etheridge palmed out. The goalkeeper was then powerless to prevent Doherty sweeping home the rebound to send the visitors’ fans into raptures.

It was a deflating sight to see Doherty reel away in celebration, Warnock’s shoulders slumped at an all-too-familiar sight – Cardiff’s opponents scoring first.

Only against Chelsea have the Bluebirds got the game’s first goal this term.

The goal unsettled Cardiff, so too did Wolves’ willingness to scrap seemingly for every ball with referee Andre Marriner adopting a lenient approach to both sides’ physical approach.

The hosts kept fighting, however, and came within a whisker of a leveller on 36 minutes, with Harry Arter arrowing a fine effort against the woodwork following a melee in the Wolves box.

Towards the end of an action-packed first half, there was still time for Victor Camarasa to kick the air instead of the ball after Callum Paterson’s headed knockdown gifted the Spaniard a fine opening from 12 yards.

Cardiff will have entered the half-time interval knowing that, although they have performed much better this season, they might well have been level on another night.

It was Camarasa again who ghosted into another dangerous position straight after the restart, but could find neither the goal or Paterson.

Those frustrations grew as Cardiff players continue to take war wounds for the cause. Camarasa and Paterson were both felled either side of the break, but both hauled themselves off the canvas as the Bluebirds continued to probe.

Ruben Neves was a constant thorn in their side though and thumped a longranger at Etheridge just before the hour mark, after he had screwed an earlier effort wide.

It was then deja vu as Arter lurked on the edge of the box after a corner and fizzed another shot towards goal. Only Coady’s deflection took it away from goal – but Cardiff weren’t to be denied.

Arter again mopped up from a corner and looped it back into the mix, where Sean Morrison’s header found Gunnarsson who could not miss as he acrobatically fired home.

The goal sent a deafening roar around Cardiff City Stadium – and possibly up to the Brecon Beacons too.

But Wolves weren’t done and immediately countered through Jimenez, with Morrison brilliantly thwarting substitute Diogo Jota.

Then Hoilett, who had barely been involved in the first 77 minutes, picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and bent home a wonderful effort into the top corner.

The noise level reached new levels, but it left Warmock’s men hanging on with Wolves visibly angered.

Sub Morgan Gibbs-White came within a whisker of silencing the home faithful late on, but Cardiff closed out a famous victory to mark Warnock’s 70th birthday today in style.

Etheridge; Manga, Morrison (c), Bamba, Ralls; Gunnarsson, Arter (Harris, 76), Camarasa; Murphy (Decordova-Reid, 66), Hoilett, Paterson. Subs not used: Smithies, Peltier, Bennett, Ward, Mendez-Laing.

Patricio; Saiss, Coady (capt.), Boly; Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Vinagre (Cavaleiro, 82); Traore (Gibbs-White, 73), Costa (Jota, 66), Jimenez. Subs not used: Ruddy, Bennett, Giles, Bonatini.

30,230.

Andre Marriner (West Mids)

Cardiff City: Wolves: Attendance: Referee: