Jackett looks to shut up shop
DEFENCE is the name of the game for Wolves boss Kenny Jackett who wants his side to tighten up at the back after they failed to take all the points at home to Wigan.
Jackett saw his side take the lead at Molineux through Dave Edwards’ header but Latics skipper James Perch was immediately on hand to cancel it out with a header of his own.
The visitors found themselves ahead on the stroke of half-time when Marc-Antoine Fortune took advantage of some sloppy defending from Richard Stearman.
Bakary Sako capped a star performance to rescue a point for Jackett’s side, but the manager bemoaned his team’s poor defensive record.
“We’re disappointed with the goals against us. We’ve now conceded eight in three games,” Jackett said.
“Realistically, it has to be zeroes and ones conceded on a consistent basis to earn points. We need to improve on that.
“After that, there was a lot of very good play.We showed great spirit in the second half, and we were unlucky not to win the game.
“I thought we took the game to Wigan in both halves. We know where we need to improve and what we need to improve on, and we also know that it’s a very tight division. Small percentages make the difference.”
Wolves started the game brightly but were unable to carve out any clear-cut chances until the 30th minute when the game sprung to life.
Rajiv van La Parra’s inviting cross from the right caused all sorts of problems for the Latics and Edwards headed in at the near post past a helpless Scott Carson.
But the lead lasted for barley a minute and Uwe Rösler’s men levelled when Perch headed home Shaun Maloney’s free-kick.
And on the stroke of halftime disaster struck for Stearman who failed to clear an innocuous cross from Andrew Davies on the left and Fortune snatched the ball and turned it home from point-blank range.
The hosts came out fighting in the second half and the impressive Sako continued to trouble the Wigan defence, firing low into the side netting early on.
And it was Sako who eventually drew Wolves level, bending the ball into the far corner from the edge of a crowded penalty area in the 64th minute after Wigan failed to clear a corner.
With both sides pushing for a winner Wolves right-back Matt Doherty almost made himself a hero when his effort rattled the bar but it finished even and Rösler was satisfied with the point.
“This was a difficult place to come to,” he said. “We had a gameplan, which I felt worked well. We shut down their strong side, the right, and gave their Richard Stearman the ball. I think we frustrated them in many ways.
“But we weren’t as good as we can be with the ball.The first goal we conceded should not be conceded at this level. Neither central defender took control, which allowed a free header.
“But we responded very well to be 2-1 up going into the second half, and then had some very good counter-attacking possibilities.
“The second goal we concede should not happen. We didn’t clear the edge of the box, but Sako’s execution was excellent. Overall it’s a fair point.”