Lage joy LITTLE DAN SEALS A BIG WIN
By John Richardson
IT was little Daniel Podence who was the big hit as Wolves ended a sequence of 12 Premier League games without a win.
It was lucky 13 for relieved Molineux boss Bruno Lage thanks to the 5ft 5in Portuguese winger.
All the focus had been on debutmaking 6ft 7in Austrian striker Sasa Kalajdzic but the £15million capture only lasted 45 minutes before succumbing to a knee injury.
At least he had a close-up view of Podence setting up Wolves for their first league victory since April 20th.
Lage admitted: “These three points can give my players the confidence to play our game. The fans have been happy with our performances. Now they will be happy with the win. We deserved this victory.
“It’s an opportunity now to find our best moments. They are giving everything.”
Earlier, Pedro Neto had scuffed the home side’s best chance wide before a rapid break down the right earned its reward. Nunes delivered a low ball across the face of goal for Podence to pounce, his first-time strike spinning past Gavin Bazunu.
Cue relief for Lage’s side who had begun the afternoon in the bottom three and wondering where the next three points were going to come from.
Saints should have snatched a point with Che Adams somehow handling a Joe Aribo cross virtually on the goal line and two minutes later getting his head to a Stuart Armstrong ball only to strike the bar.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “We will support him. He does a fantastic job for us. Maybe once in 12 months something like this happens. Next time he will score a goal for us.”
Free-kick expert James Wardprowse’s eyes must have lit up when the home side erred on the edge of their box, only for the England man to fire straight at a relieved Jose Sa.
Saints finally came alive in the closing minutes but Bruno’s side came through – just.
WOLVES: Sa 7, Jonny 7, Collins 7, Kilman 7, Ait-nouri; Nunes 7, Neves 6, Moutinho 6; Neto 6 (Traore (81) 6), Kalajdzic 5 (Guedes (46) 7), Podence 7
SOUTHAMPTON: Bazunu 7, Walker-peters 7, Bellakotchap 7, Salisu, Perraud 6 (Edozie (73) 6); Wardprowse 7, Diallo 6 (Djenepo (56) 6); Aribo 7 (Maitlandniles (73) 6), Elyounousi 6 (S Armstrong (56) 7), A Armstrong 6 (Mara 83); Adams 6
STAR MAN: Daniel Podence - A little bundle of energy. Kept the home side at it.
John Brooks 7