Magician Mendez haunts Wolves
AFTER splurging millions in the summer, the irony will not be lost on Wolves that their 100 percent start to the season was ended by a man they let go for next to nothing.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing never played a league game for Wolves after coming through the ranks – but he came back to haunt them with the winner in this battle of the Championship’s early pacesetters.
It continued the 25-year-old Brummie winger’s remarkable start to life at Cardiff, his 77thminute strike making it five goals in five games.
And while Mendez-Laing has spent almost his entire career to date in League One, Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock is not surprised his summer signing from Rochdale has quickly made the step up.
Warnock, whose side stay top after extending their own perfect start, said: “I knew Mendez was going to score when he took his first touch because he’s been on fire.
“I would imagine he wouldn’t have dreamed of this start. But he’s got a good future if he stays grounded – and while I’m in charge of him, he’ll stay grounded, don’t worry!
“He doesn’t need encouraging to take anybody on. He just does it without thinking. He’s almost like a kid with a new ball. He gets it and runs.
“But it wasn’t just his goal. He played wing-back at times and worked his socks off the other way.
“I was very, very pleased as there were some really good per- formances and we’ve beaten several different styles of team so far.”
Cardiff were deserved winners here, though Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo felt they should have been down to ten men just before half-time for an alleged elbow by Loic Damour on Romain Saiss.
Santo said: “It was an elbow. I saw it. He was two metres away from me. He should have been sent off.
“What makes you strong is how your get up from the big punches that you get. We have to be mentally strong to deal with this kind of provocation. We have to be physically strong.
“Cardiff ’s game plan was to be aggressive and if the referee allows these situations to happen without punishing then teams are going to do that.
“We are disappointed as we came here with a lot of confidence. But we took too much time to put ourselves in the game.”
In a scrappy, ill-tempered first half, Cardiff produced the only moments of real quality and should have led after 16 minutes.
Wolves keeper John Ruddy did well to push Junior Hoilett’s 20yarder wide but went missing from the corner and was lucky Sol Bamba somehow managed to head against the bar.
Bamba headed another corner wide before Wolves finally improved, Bright Enobakhare firing wide from 20 yards after a surging run.
Cardiff resumed control after the break, and they led on 54 minutes as Hoilett teed up Joe Ralls to steer into the bottom corner from 12 yards and only two Ruddy saves kept Wolves in it.
Wanderers levelled on 67 minutes as Barry Douglas’ volley was prodded in by Leo Bonatini from close range, the first goal Cardiff have conceded in the league this season.
But Mendez-Laing deservedly won it for the visitors, clinically firing home ten minutes later.