SA THE SAVIOUR AS VILLA FAIL TO GRAB LATE POINT
ANGRY Steven Gerrard blasted his players for taking 70 minutes to “go to war” with their Midlands rivals.
Wolves were 2-0 up at halftime and cruising but were left hanging on at the end as Villa desperately tried to play their Get Out Of Jail Free card.
What a mad, mad match it was – Wolves should have been home and hosed but were left clinging on by their fingernails.
But Gerrard wasn’t impressed, saying: “We decided to have a war with Wolves – but that was after 70 minutes and that’s too late.
“You can’t give teams a twogoal start. We’re looking like a 45-minute team. I’ve got to fix it – and I will. We can’t keep giving sloppy goals away.
“We’re gifting teams really poor goals. We never came to a big derby game against local rivals until half-time. It was all too little too late.”
When the final whistle went, home skipper Conor Coady jumped into Jose Sa’s arms expressing his gratitude for a string of fine saves from his keeper.
The Portugal international defied Gerrard’s men on numerous occasions and, along with Villa wasting some big opportunities, his saves proved crucial.
Wolves boss Bruno Lage admitted he was worried after seeing his side surrender a 2-0 lead against Leeds and lose 3-2.
Lage said: “I had the same feeling as against Leeds. First half we dominated everything but 2-0 is such a dangerous score.
“We gave them the opportunity to try and turn the game around. We need to have the mentality to kill the game off and not give opponents the hope that they can come back into the game.”
If Wolves were anxious about having star players Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez missing it certainly didn’t show and with just seven minutes on the clock, they stormed into the lead.
Jonny (below right) took a loose ball high and lashed an unstoppable drive into the roof
of the net. Villa tried to hit back with a couple of long-range efforts but they went further behind in the 36th-minute when Ashley Young crouched to clear but only managed to head it into his own net off the underside of the bar.
But with five minutes left
Villa got the break they needed when Ollie Watkins squeezed between Coady and Sa and tumbled to the ground.
Referee Darren England pointed to the spot and Watkins set up a tense finale by converting his kick via the inside of the post.
Matty Cash was left clutching his head in his hands as Sa made himself big and somehow managed to get his knee in the way of his goalbound stoppage-time shot.