Burnley Stay Up and Ensure The Crying Of Wolves

A rare win at Molineux finally eased any lingering relegation fears for the Clarets on Saturday after 10 men Burnley beat Wolves 2-1. It`s bad enough trying to win on this ground and this was the Clarets first league double over Wolves in a remarkable 56 years. Wolves to be honest did not play well and looked intimated by the increasingly furious and angry home crowd. Our victory virtually ensures their relegation to League One barring some sort of miracle and an angry mob of home fans invaded the pitch at the end in hostile protest at the Wolves board. A goal by Ings in the 8th minute followed by a Paterson goal in the 53rd minute gave Burnley the upper hand but this has been a strange season and Burnley fans know not to rest on their laurels and assume an easy victory. Once again the colly wobbles struck when we were reduced to ten men in the 65th minute following the dismissal of Michael Duff for a second bookable offence. The tension became even a little bit more unbearable when Wolves reduced the arrears in the 88th minute thanks to a goal from Dicko. We never really looked in danger of losing this one though and those valuable three points saw the Clarets safe on 58 points with just our final game of the season to play at home to Ipswich next Saturday. Burnley are now in 14th spot and a win against Ipswich could see the Clarets finish in the top ten next Saturday. To be honest it has been a frustrating, mediocre season peppered with just a few high spots including now the double over Wolves following Saturday`s victory but it would be nice to finish on a high as well and win our last match of the season. Thankfully at least we don`t now need points to ensure survival next Saturday but Wolves look doomed after both Barnsley and Peterborough won their games. Wolves are now second from bottom three points behind Barnsley and Peterborough and must now go to Brighton and win probably about 5-0 whilst hoping both Barnsley and Peterborough lose to stand any chance of staying up. No wonder their fans were miffed after two successive demotions and their dismal performance against the Clarets! Brighton have already reached the play-offs though so might take their foot off the accelerator but who cares? We can now relax and just get on with bringing the season to a close knowing we we still be playing Championship football in 2013-14. It would be nice to finish above Blackburn though and they could only manage a draw at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday leaving them in 17th spot one point behind the Clarets. They have a tricky game away to Birmingham in their final match of the season and have an inferior goal difference to the Clarets. We are even Stevens but they are on minus seven. All we have to do is beat Ipswich and they can`t catch us so come on lads let`s finish the season with something to cheer about.

Team Sheet

Sean Dyche in terms of tactics decided to start this game the way he finished the one against Cardiff in our previous home game. It was decided to play without wingers so both Wallace and Stanislas had to be content with a place on the bench. Instead David Edgar continued his role playing in front of the back four and we had a three pronged attack with Vokes flanked by Ings and Paterson. Micheal Duff though returned to the back four after recovering from his troublesome calf injury.It turned out though that Long wasn`t dropped from the eighteen but had picked up an injury in the warm up to be replaced by Duff.In summary then we lined up as follows:

Grant, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Lafferty, Edgar, McCann, Marney, Vokes, Paterson, Ings

Subs: Jensen, O’Neill, Mills, Stock, Bartley, Wallace, Stanislas

Full Match Report

It was strange weather in Wolverhampton and on the way to the ground after an excellent drinking session in the Great Western pub near the station, it decided to hail stone on me in somewhat freakish weather considering the rest of the day was virtually bright sunshine! By the time I got to the ground it was bright sunshine again but I wish I had known I would then have to walk up what seemed endless stairs to the Stan Cullis Upper Tier. I managed it just and then out of breath realised I then still had to go up to Row Y and watch the game in the Gods!! I was knackered before the game got underway and was still breathing heavily when Surrey referee, Darren Sheldrake finally got this tense match started. It was worth it the end though since I had never been to this ground and seen us win and what a time to finally see one! Wolves needed to win to steady their relegation fears and in the opening spell they looked up for it but it all soon fizzled out! A poor clearance by Grant was latched onto by Doumbia but the Burnley keeper made amends by making a comfortable save. Burnley though soon knocked the home side for six with Danny Ings opening the scoring after just seven minutes. Ings did well to control the ball following a Trippier cross and then he unleashed a low drive which flew past Wolves keeper, Dorius De Vries into the far corner of the net to put the Clarets 1-0 up. Wolves did not seem to have any answers and looked poor with no passion or skill on display worthy of mention. The home fans were getting both nervous and angry with Burnley now clearly getting the upper hand and Wolves unable to make any sort of impression. The Clarets nearly doubled their lead after McCann picked up a Trippier pass on the right to put over a cross. Sam Vokes tried a flick but De Vries was able to parry well only to see the ball fall to Ings. This time Ings tried to clip the ball back across the face of goal but a Wolves defender got a boot to it clearing the danger. The only answer Wolves seemed to have was to pump ‘hit and hope` high balls upfield and try a few crosses into the box but this was easy meat for Edgar playing in front of the back four. Eight minutes before the break though Wolves created one good chance from a deep cross. Grant was forced into an error but once again he recovered well to block the attempted shot. It was rather nervy too for Clarets fans on the stroke of half-time when from a Wolves corner a far post header looked to be the equaliser before Edgar popped up to hack the ball away off the line.

Neither manager made any changes for the start of the second half and within seven minutes Dean Saunders may have been regretting that decision after Burnley doubled their lead to really turn the screw on the hosts. Ings put over the ball from a right wing corner which was cleared but only for Ings to pounce yet again. This time his low shot flew into the back of the net at the near post following a deflection off Paterson who claimed the goal. Former Wolves player, Sam Vokes then nearly made it game over for the struggling home side a few moments after the second goal. After spinning round in the area, he managed to get in a rising shot which flew just over the crossbar.

It is never plain sailing for the Clarets though and even at 2-0 up Burnley fans were still nervous! Those nerves became well-founded when with 25 minutes still to play, Burnley were reduced to ten men. Duff, who had already picked up a yellow card in the first half after tripping up Kevin Doyle decided to have a go at him again this time from 30 yards out! The referee ensured he wouldn`t get a third try and sent him off for a second bookable offence! Time for a change in tactics and this sadly meant Edgar, who had been so impressive in front of the back four now became part of them with Burnley reverting to 4-4-1. Wolves looking down and out now seemed to get a new lease of life and substitute Liam McAlinden almost made it 2-1 after attempting a curling shot from the corner of the box! Grant was relieved though to see the shot fly just wide of the far post. Wolves though were now getting exposed at the back after trying everything up front to get back in the game and save their Championship status. Paterson nearly made it 3-0 after his low shot flew inches wide at the other end. It was still a nervous time somehow though for the Clarets fans watching this game and we still could not totally relax. It got even more bum-squeaky with two minutes of normal time to go when substitute, Dicko reduced the arrears! He thumped the ball home from a corner and the away fans now had to endure four sweaty minutes of added time! Wolves tried a few lofty balls but really their heart was not in it and with the final whistle our survival was ensured.

Match Stats

Wolverhampton Wanderers: De Vries, Ward (Sako-59), Johnson, Robinson, Gorkss, Doherty, Henry, Hunt (McAlinden – 69), Doumbia, Sigurdarson (Dicko – 59), Doyle

Subs Not Used: McCarey, Batth, Foley, Jonsson

Goal: Dicko 88

Booked: Yellow Cards for Dicko 68 and Docherty 71

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Lafferty, Edgar, McCann, Marney, Vokes (Bartley – 90), Paterson (Stanislas – 82), Ings

Subs Not Used: Jensen, O’Neill, Mills, Wallace, Stock

Goals: Ings 8, Paterson 53

Booked: Red Card for Michael Duff after second bookable offence 65 mins, Yellow Cards for Duff 19 and 65, Marney 45 and Grant 90+1

Possession: 51% Wolverhampton Wanderers, 49% Burnley (Source: BBC Sport)

Ref: Darren Sheldrake (Surrey)