Wood had qualities as teenager – Mowbray
BOLTON boss Phil Parkinson and Sheffield Wednesday counterpart Carlos Carvalhal were sent off in a stormy finish to Wanderers’ thrilling 3-2 Carabao Cup success. at the Macron Stadium.
The flashpoint came two minutes from time after a foul by Wednesday’s Scottish international Barry Bannan on substitute Filipe Morais.
Bannan was only booked but referee David Webb dismissed the rival bosses after a pushing and shoving confrontation in the home technical area.
That incident overshadowed a gripping second round tie and a Jordan Rhodes inspired comeback that almost forced extra time for the Yorkshire visitors.
Newly-promoted Wanderers led 3-0 after 63 minutes with goals from Dorian Dervite, Adam Armstrong and Jem Karacan. But Rhodes, largely anonymous for most of the game, came to life with a brace of goals in the final 15 minutes.
Stephen Darby kicked another shot off the line and substitute Atdhe Nuhiu missed a sitter as Wednesday pressed to take the game into extra time, but Bolton clung on.
Wanderers who, like Wednesday, made seven changes from their previous league outing, survived several scares before going in front after 42 minutes through Dervite.
The French defender, once on Spurs’ books, volleyed in from 12 yards for his first goal since December 2015.
Armstrong, scorer of Bolton’s opener in the previous round at Crewe, doubled the home advantage with a 57th minute penalty after keeper Joe Wildsmith brought down Will Buckley.
And when Karacan headed in Antonee Robinson’s cross Bolton’s third round place looked secure. But Rhodes, with a close range finish and a header, sparked a frantic finale on and off the pitch. TONY MOWBRAY handed Chris Wood his Premier League debut as a teenager at West Brom so knows all about the qualities which persuaded Burnley to spend £15m on him.
Wood, 25, became the Clarets’ record signing when he joined from Leeds on Monday and he could make his Burnley bow against Mowbray’s Blackburn at Ewood Park in the Carabao Cup tonight.
Eight years ago Wood and Mowbray were on the same team, the latter unafraid to throw a 17-year-old on at Portsmouth for his top-flight bow despite the fact the Baggies were in the midst of a relegation battle.
Mowbray acknowledges Wood was still a raw prospect but he saw the mental attributes which have led him back to the Premier League, where he is now hoping to make his mark with Blackburn’s bitter rivals.
“I was manager when Chris came over from New Zealand – he came over as a young boy but had some talent and was a big-framed boy,” Mowbray said.
“There was potential there. He had that physicality about him. He had a single-mindedness to score goals and work hard.
“You have to wait and see when they’re young boys like that, it’s seeing whether they progress and he obviously has done and he’s got the right ingredients to make a good career for himself.”
Philippe Coutinho will once again be missing for Liverpool when they entertain Hoffenheim tonight in the second leg of their Champions League play-off.
Having missed the first three games of the season due to a back injury, the Barcelona target now has a bout of illness and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp confirmed he was unsure when the midfielder would be able to return.