Top of the table Wolves baring teeth!
Nuno’s men pass test
‘ANYONE would think they had won the Premier League,’ said Steve Bruce of how Wolves fans celebrated after his Aston Villa side were beaten 2-0 last weekend.
It was a suggestion that the club who are t op of t he Championship had started to become too arrogant for their own good.
And so what if they have? This was another acid test for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. A season or two ago it wouldn’t have been unfair to place Preston just above the relegation zone — not now. Alex Neil’s men are a stubborn bunch and had gone nine games unbeaten before yesterday.
An Ivan Cavaleiro strike and a brace from Leo Bonatini did the damage before a spirited Preston fightback, which included two goals but also a sending-off for Alan Browne.
‘I think it was deserved and it’s a good result,’ manager Nuno said.
‘At 3-0, everyone thought that the game was over but this is football and, until the last minute, you cannot relax or concede so many opportunities.’
Chances didn’t come frequently in the first half until the opener arrived a minute before the break, Cavaleiro converting after a Barry Douglas shot rebounded to him at the far post.
Bonatini scored from the penalty spot to double the advantage after Josh Harrop brought down Matt Doherty. And when Wolves made it 3-0 after Bonatini scored from Diogo Jota’s rebound you half expected Preston to give up.
They didn’t. Jordan Hugill silenced the home fans when he headed Browne’s cross past John Ruddy before Conor Coady scored an own goal to give Preston hope.
But that all but died when Browne received a second yellow card for a late tackle on Alfred N’Diaye.
‘It was a frustrating day all round,’ Neil said. ‘The one thing I won’t ever take away from my team is that they don’t ever stop trying.’