Hwang helps get Wolves up and running

IT will be repeated again but is very much the case: Wolves have attacking promise in abundance — there is no question of that.

But how apt that it was an owngoal and a late strike from their debutant Hwang Hee-chan that got Bruno Lage’s men over the line against a spirited Watford side.

Hwang came on after 63 minutes and gave the opposition backline an added element to deal with. He could possibly help solve his side’s desperate need for composure in front of goal.

For large parts, the visitors really didn’t look at home at all against a side who have won 11 consecutive matches in their back yard going on from last season.

Wolves were making a routine of squandering Adama Traore’s crosses, and Watford were no better at taking advantage of Ismaila Sarr’s service. Both wide men were the match’s orchestrators lacking a willing cast. But it was a bit of luck on 74 minutes that broke the deadlock.

As Marcal whipped a cross in after Joao Moutinho played a short corner, the ball passed a number of bodies all the way to Francisco

Sierralta. He assumed his teammates would clear the ball first, only to see it strike his head and divert past goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

One can often bring two and that was the case for a Wolves side shorn of their shooting boots of late. It was debutant Hwang who nine minutes later sealed the match, bundling over substitute Daniel Podence’s exquisite, chipped cross.

On his side’s victory, manager Lage insisted it was a matter of time after showing elements of quality in earlier matches.

‘We want to play this way and score goals, so my ambition and feeling is the same from the first day in the way we played against Leicester,’ said Lage.

Wolves were without a win in three matches and despite the early signs of promise in this season so far, getting points on the board here was a must.

The Hornets looked a threat on 16 minutes when Sarr bamboozled three defenders and provided for Moussa Sissoko but his shot was palmed out by keeper Jose Sa.

It gave Watford belief as Joshua King shot tamely at goal off Sissoko’s low pass into the box, shortly before Sarr dithered and squared the ball to the opposition.

Watford boss Xisco Munoz switched Jeremy Ngakia and Danny Rose to the opposite sides at the interval to try and stem the Traore flow down the wings, but Wolves’ Nelson Semedo found himself through on goal after a neat Raul Jimenez back flick dissecting the defence only to panic and drag the ball wide.

It was to be an own goal and a debutant that got Wolves’ campaign finally up and running.