Wolves 2-1 U's: Feeding Of The 4,000
Saturday 5th January 2008 - Wolves 2-1 U's: Feeding Of The 4,000
It's not often we plebs get to feel like royalty. OK, you can go around blasting helpless birds out of the sky, or being rude to foreigners, or dressing up as Hermann Goering 'for a laugh', but it's not the same, is it? So when the United Away Travel Club's 24 coaches breezed into Wolverhampton, with flashing police motorcycle outrider escort stopping all traffic before them to allow us through, it was sorely tempting to give the locals a regal wave or two, especially when they smiled patronisingly at the first couple of coaches then their jaws slowly dropped as their gaze turned to the long crocodile of coaches snaking behind as far as the eye could see.
Over 4,000 United supporters in all descended upon Molineux for the biggest awayday since 2002's LDV final. Be in no doubt, the U's are on the way back! From the four corners of the land, and beyond (Italy for one) they came, regulars, occasionals and first-timers, glory-hunters and misery-finders, young and old, male, female, and a few who didn't seem quite sure; all human life was there. The subhuman life followed Peterborough to Colchester.
Time was when the U's were regular visitors to Wolverhampton. In the early Nineties they won 2-1 there in March 1993 with goals from Steve Butler and Chris Leadbitter, they lost there 2-1 a year earlier, and in January 1991 they defeated Wolves 1-0 with another goal by that man (Ooh-ah) Leadbitter in the same round of the FA Cup which we were contesting today. And as they were in the midst of a total rebuild of the old stadium in those days, we were housed in a different part of the ground each time.
Today Molineux is a gleaming, old-gold-and-black edifice, very neat and tidy, although its structure of four entirely separate stands has been rather overtaken by more modern all-in-one stadia like those at Reading, Southampton and Leicester. It is almost symmetrical, with the two stands along each side mirroring each other, as do the two at each end, although one of the latter boasts a quaint old-fashioned clock mounted at its top.
All-seater, of course, the ends are one-tiered but the side stands boast upper and lower tiers with hospitality suites in between with sinister blacked-out windows, which could be covering a multitude of sins. Or perhaps I'm letting my imagination run away with me.
The United fans were allocated all of one side's lower tier (the Steve Bull Stand) plus a sliver of one end, and a mighty noise they made too. The home sections were, it would be fair to say, rather less full, as if somehow the visit of the Mighty U's to their town had not captured the locals' collective imagination. Hard to believe, I know.
Team news was intriguing to say the least. Mark Peters, Courtney Pitt and Leo Fortune-West were dropped from the side which started New Year's Day's underwhelm-fest at Histon, and an entirely new formation was created which could best be described as 3-4-2-1: a back three of Josh Coulson, Mark Albrighton and Michael Morrison, wing-backs Dan Gleeson and Stephen Reed flanking two holding midfielders in Danny Brown and Paul Corden, with two freer, more attacking midfield players in Mark Convery and Rob Wolleaston stationed further forward whose job was to link up with lone striker Scott Rendell. Voila: Jimmy and Fester's Cunning Plan.
It seemed that JQ's strategy was to flood the midfield in a bid to contain Wolves' fast-breaking attack, which was liable come both down the flanks and through the middle, and at the same time set his own team up to be able to break swiftly themselves on the counter.
The hosts came into the match without a win in seven games, their last victory having been against Preston on 1st December. Not uncoincidentally, their poor run had coincided with the loss through injury of England Under-21 midfielder and former Grays Athletic team-mate of Lee Boylan, Michael Kightly, but he was back on the bench today to the obvious delight and, perhaps, relief of the Molineux faithful. One player who was missing through injury, however, was former U's favourite and talented artist Jody Craddock.
The teams took their time in emerging from the tunnel, the hapless on-pitch PA announcer having to stage his build-up three times and reduced to filling in the time with increasing desperation. Eventually they came out to the strains of oldie but mouldy "Hi Ho Silver Lining", changed wittily to "Hi Ho Wolverhampton", while the Amber Army filled the air with yellow-and-black tickertape, much of which settled upon the pitch like a flashback to Argentina '78. The atmosphere was more charged than Britney Spears.
Wolves laid into United from the start, immediately forging an attack down the right, Matt Jarvis getting behind Reed and finding Jay Bothroyd ten yards out, but his low shot was heroically blocked by a sliding Albrighton.
Having survived that very early scare, United began to settle down, with Carden and Brown key in breaking up the hosts' attacks. Danny Potter remained well protected, making his first comfortable save on 7 from Bothroyd's hopeful 20-yarder.
United's game plan began to bear fruit on 9. Rendell, a willing worker up front, linked with Reed and Convery darted forward into the box free of challenge; his far-post header soared over keeper Wayne Hennessey towards two colleagues waiting at the other post, but Wolves skipper Darren Ward was there on the line to head clear.
Suitably roused by that moment of danger, the hosts attempted to respond, Potter saving easily from a Darron Gibson long-ranger on 14, then on 17 Jarvis almost skipped through and saw his goalbound poke blocked by the feet of the United keeper. Morrison blocked Bothroyd's shot behind two minutes later and the ensuing corner was cleared by Albrighton, but the next really good chance also fell to the visitors, on 22.
Another good passing move forward saw Rendell advance and find Convery in the left channel, again evading any marker, and he cut inside, beating one man then another, but twelve yards out with only Hennessey to beat, he hit his shot straight at the Wolves custodian, who did not so much save it as allow it to bounce off his chest. Another close shave (not the chest - that was probably waxed).
It was Potter's turn to save on 24, Stephen Ward's deflected shot almost but not quite wrongfooting him, and Wolves continued to push and probe through Jarvis down the right and Ward and Gray down the left, with United's dogs of war harrying and snapping at their heels.
The amber hordes were loving it, having a good bounce (which no doubt reminded Wolves fans of their friendly local rivals' boing-boing Baggies) and indulging in the old favourite "We're the right side/middle/left side" song. Some of those United followers who were not, shall we say, regular attenders, seemed genuinely surprised that the more vocal supporters kept standing up from their seats because, well, they weren't supposed to! Fancy!
United gained a corner on 32, but did not make anything of it, and two minutes wily old fox Michael Gray skilfully fell over Gleeson's leg to gain the softest of free-kicks from gullible ref Mr Friend. Gray's kick was lofted into the box where Darren Ward met it with a powerful downward header, but Potter scooted across his line to make a quite marvellous diving save and paw it around the post, Gordon Banks-style.
Jarvis' corner was headed wide by Andy Keogh and United endured a few minutes of pressure, but the back three were all playing at the top of their game and were well supported by a tremendously doughty all-round team performance. Then came some real drama on 41.
Lumbering centre-back Neill Collins attempted to pass to a colleague on the edge of his own area, but Convery was alert and super-quick, sticking out a leg to intercept and chasing the ball down to the byline on the left of goal. With Rendell in the middle Convery lofted a cross his way, only for Collins to block with his hand: penalty! Looked fair enough to us, although the hosts' dour manager begged to differ.
Up stepped Rendell as 4,000 Cantabrigians held their collective breath. A little stutter in the run-up, some delightful disguise in the shot, and United's top scorer had Hennessey diving to his left while the ball nestled deliciously in the centre of goal. 1-0!
The surge of adrenaline brought to mind Dion Dublin's equaliser at Highbury back in '91: a glorious feeling. Could this be our day? Wolves responded swiftly. On 44 Gibson touched a free-kick to Bothroyd but the United wall held firm, and on the brink of half-time a nasty cross by Gibson from the right drifted over Potter's head to Keogh at the far post; his downward nod beat the U's keeper but was cleared off the line by Albrighton's thigh, Coulson completing the clearance.
United had made it to the interval with their lead intact and were cheered uproariously from the pitch while the occupants of the other three-quarters of Molineux mumbled sullenly to themselves and sloped off for a stiff, warm lager. Let battle recommence in fifteen minutes' time. The rain which had arrived unexpectedly near the end of the half soon passed and the conditions reverted to clear but very cool, sunshine still filtering through the stands to remind us that this had been a two o'clock kickoff and would finish in daylight.
Freddy Eastwood replaced Keogh for part two and the hosts strove to bring pressure to bear on United's stout defence, a couple of harmless early shots from Stephen Ward and Eastwood sailing wide. The U's were still on the lookout for any chance of a break, and they got one on 52 when Wolleaston was played onside by a straggling defender and his curling cross aimed for the head of Rendell was plucked from the air in the nick of time by Hennessey.
The hosts struck back, and on 56 came close again when Darren Ward's header from a Jarvis corner was booted off the line by Reed at the far post. Then Bothroyd fired for goal, Albrighton deflected wide, and the other Ward blasted Jarvis' flag-kick over the top.
It was time for Wolves' secret weapon, and on the hour Kightly was introduced in place of Stephen Ward to great acclaim from the restless locals. He took up station wide right with Jarvis switching to the left.
The ref had been quick to whistle for the most innocuous of challenges but had thus far spared the book, but he had no choice on 65 when Eastwood sprinted twenty yards to flatten Coulson with an horrendous challenge which fully deserved the yellow card. Four minutes later, however, the man in black was writing something else entirely in his notebook: a Wolves equaliser.
The second half had thus far been relatively uneventful, and hopes were high in the U's camp that perhaps, yes, they could hold on all the way. But on 69 Jarvis lost Gleeson with some deft control and hared down the left, crossing low, and as the United defence stood and watched, that man Kightly nipped in from the right across Morrison to poke home past a helpless Potter from eight yards. Relief for the hosts: 1-1.
United had to regain their composure quickly. Their opponents, previously nervous and under pressure, now went for the jugular, Darren Potter firing over on 70 and Gibson missing again on 72. Three minutes later disaster seemed to beckon for the plucky visitors when Bothroyd drifted across the back line onto a through ball, losing all semblance of a marker in the process, and went one-on-one with Potter from a narrow angle at the near post. The U's custodian kept his cool, stood his ground and when Bothroyd attempted a little chip, he was equal to it, blocking with both hands. Albrighton completed the clearance.
United had all but run themselves into the ground, and fresh legs were introduced on 77, Pitt replacing Brown with Convery dropping deeper to take up his skipper's role. The visitors' tiredness showed with two bookings on 78 and 80, Gleeson for the latest of several fouls on Jarvis and then Carden for bringing down Eastwood, somewhat harshly.
The pattern of the contest remained unchanged, Wolves attempting to unlock United by short passing, the U's resisting and looking to hit back on the break. Ward nodded a Gibson cross over the top on 81, and three minutes later Bothroyd made a run into the box and tumbled to the ground pitifully and transparently theatrically, rewarded with a thoroughly deserved booking for his dishonesty.
But the Wolves players knew how to gain free-kicks from the man in black, and two minutes from time Kightly tried to go past Albrighton down the left and when the ball ran away from him, threw himself pitchward. Free-kick. The penalty box was packed, Kightly flighted a wicked ball towards the edge of the six-yard box, and there was human battering ram Collins rising without serious challenge to crash a header past the helpless Potter. Shades of Tony Adams on '91: 2-1.
It was a crushing blow and little deserved. JQ went for broke, introducing two extra strikers in Boylan and Fortune-West in place of Convery and Reed, but with the latter went a degree of sophistication and the four minutes' added time saw a rather frantic game of kick-and-rush ensue. It was Wolves who managed the attempts on goal, a couple of hopeful efforts from Gibson and Jarvis, while United tried in vain to create something from chaos.
Near the end Eastwood broke clear down the left, cut inside and narrowly missed the near post with a low shot. But a third goal for the hosts would have been a travesty. The game was up.
The final whistle came as a relief to the hosts, while United's marvellous, noisy travelling support rose to acclaim a gutsy, committed and, yes, pretty sophisticated effort from their heroes, who in turn, reciprocated the acclaim. Yes, we had failed, but what a glorious failure. If United can replicate this level of commitment, organisation and add just a little more fire power, we are in for an exciting second half of the season. And now we know it for a fact: we've got the best darned support in the Conference. If we stick together we can really go places - and I don't mean the Glass World again!
Statto Corner
Today's attendance of 15,340 may have been well below Wolves' average this season, but it was the second largest in eight meetings between the old gold and the amber; the largest was their very first Molineux meeting in the League Cup on 2nd September 1980, when a Floyd Streete goal gave the U's a 1-0 win to seal a 4-1 aggregate victory. Wolves were so impressed they went on to sign the big United utility man.
United remain ahead on Molineux meetings with four wins to Wolves' three. The lowest crowd for such an encounter was a suspiciously exact 6,000 for a Division 4 meeting on 23rd August 1986; United triumphed 2-1 with goals from Lindsay 'Wolfie' Smith and Mark Cooper.
15,340 is the 43rd largest attendance ever for a match involving Cambridge United.
The last time United played in front of a five-figure crowd was at Hull City on 3rd January 2004, the U's capitulating 0-2 in front of 14,271. The last time they played in front of a larger attendance than today was at Hull on 22nd February 2003, when 15,670 saw United draw 1-1 with a Tom Youngs goal despite having Adam Tann sent off. Whatever happened to him?
Player Ratings
Potter 9. Several absolutely brilliant saves sealed the man's status as an Abbey legend already.
Coulson 9. A performance of stunning coolness and authority from the rookie.
Albrighton 9. My personal choice as player of the season so far showed why with a masterclass in strong, committed defending and inspired all around him.
Morrison 9. Comfortably Morro's best display of the season with some top-notch defensive work.
Gleeson 8. Stuck doggedly to a difficult task down the right against Gray and Jarvis, unfortunately 'done' in the build-up to Wolves' equaliser.
Carden 9. This guy simply oozes quality and his tackling, covering and distribution were top class throughout.
Brown 8. Much, much better from the skipper, he gave a thoroughly decent performance in the engine room.
Reed 8. Also allotted a tough role down the left, especially when Kightly came on, he kept working hard to the end.
Convery 9. An absolute revelation.
Wolleaston 8. Made a good, industrious fist of an unfamiliar role as prime support for the lone front man.
Rendell 9. No-one covered more ground than United's lone striker, and he was rewarded when given the opportunity to take the most coolly struck penalty.
Pitt 7. Slogged his heart out for the last quarter of an hour.
Fortune-West 7. Only on for a matter of minutes but caused a few ructions.
Boylan 6. Came on same time as LFW and just ran out of time to make an impression.
Match Summary
The magnificent Mighty U's were robbed of a dogged, deserved draw at the death, but in every other way this great club was a winner with a team that raised its game to inspiring heights, an off-field team whose organisation was second to none, and most excitingly of all, a stupendous 4,000-strong support that outsung the bemused home crowd from start to finish and demonstrated that this club is a League club in all but name. Be proud, every one of you.
Man of the Match
Mark Convery. Mark has struggled to establish himself this season, due very much to injury problems, so his revelatory performance today in a slightly different role was all the more outstanding. His movement, positioning and intelligent passing was a joy to behold, and he had a header cleared off the line, a shot bounce off the keeper's body and created United's penalty with his alertness and quality. Typified his whole team's attitude today.
Ref Watch
Friend 5. The man in black was no friend to United, revealing himself as something of a homer early on with a string of generous free-kick decisions in favour of the theatrical hosts, and culminating in the nonsense of a decision which led to the winning goal. Even he wasn't fooled by the cheat Bothroyd's pathetic diving, however.
Non-League FA Cup Player's Name of the Week
Havant & Waterlooville's red card recipient, Brett Poate.
Soundtrack of the Day
British Sea Power 'Waving Flags'
The MP3 Files
Mark Peters tries to lend an ear to the Molineux sounds. "Back in Wales when I was a lad, we boys would be rather cheeky to our deaf neighbour, Mr Spytty, or we would be until he produced his dog whistle and called his specially trained Attack Chihuahuas! Now I'm not as young as I used to be, but I don't think my eardrums sustained any damage in those far-off days. So how come all the vocals of all the records Wolves played were completely inaudible, transforming them into instrumental versions?
"I managed to identify the Arcade Fire, Pigeon Detectives and Editors, all good driving modern fare, but that was about it, frankly. There was also an awful lot of talk and some commercials shown on Wolves TV's electronic screens. The only audible vocal track was the runout music, Jeff Beck's hoary old chestnut 'Hi Ho Silver Lining', and the less said about the distorted, ear-splitting rendition of 'Tom Hark' that greeted Wolves' goals the better! MP3 verdict: 2/10.
Andrew Bennett
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