Wolves’ long shot kicks the bucket
WOLVES fans chanted they only needed three more goals to get into the Championship play-offs... but they never came.
Despite an attacking barrage, Wolves suffered record-breaking heartbreak.
Their 78 points total is the most any team has piled up without making the second-tier play-offs, missing out on goal difference to Ipswich, ironically led by former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy.
The Wolves crowd marked their team’s card after Ethan Ebanks-Landell scored from close range, making it 3-1. But then Millwall upset the calculations with a goal from 18-year-old sub Jamie Philpot on his debut.
Millwall were relegated in midweek, but, despite being frail in defence, they still had a lot of fight, just as they had six months ago, when they came back from three down, at home to Wolves, to draw 3-3.
What a difference those extra two points would have made to Wolves.
They actually had the dream in their hands when Nouha Dicko put them ahead in the 20th minute with a close range goal made by a tremendous 70-yard Bakary Sako run.
At that moment, promotion rivals Derby were losing and Brentford drawing, but, when the Bees took the lead, six minutes later against Wigan, and kept it, Wolves’ fate was sealed. It has still been a tremendous first season back in the Championship for Wolves, but they will miss Sako, who scored one and helped make the other three goals.
He is out of contract and, with both West Brom and Aston Villa wanting him, he is expected to make his own move into the Premier League, or there are offers to go abroad.
“I do think Sako will be leaving us,” said Wolves boss Kenny Jackett. “It looks as if he will have offers from home and abroad that will tempt him.”
French-born Malian international Sako played the initial pass that brought Dicko’s second goal, a drive from inside the penalty box, in the 56th minute.
But Aiden O’Brien got Millwall back into the game with an easy chance and it all began to look too much for Wolves.
Philpot got his personally memorable goal in the 82nd minute, Sako his f farewell goal just before the end and Jackett admitted: “Getting into the play-offs looked possible, but not p probable, it was a long shot.
“But there are a lot of good, young players here to build on for next season and that’s what we’ll do.”
But Millwall’s Neil Harris plans a clear-out, saying: “I am expecting a big turnaround. I’ll be amazed if there is no interest in our goalkeeper David Forde, now we are in League One and we have over 20 players out of contract.”