At half time I was in shellshock. Was this not the biggest game of the season? If it was, why were we playing so ineptly with so little passion?
We were lucky to be just 1-0 down to Reading. The visitors controlled the midfield, were passing rings round us and were showing no signs of nerves. Wolves just didn’t get going. The defence was nervous, Ndah and Kennedy were being pushed back into defence and Cameron and Ince over-worked. We saw Ndah switch with Miller to no effect. It was awful.
I couldn’t see a way back to be honest. We did get better in the second half as Cameron started to turn things around in the middle. Incey was also pushing Reading back. However, we met with resistance from the previously untested Hahnemann.
Two substitutions made all the difference.
One of them, Newton, gave us more shape with Miller going back into a central role and Ndah coming off, he’s not a right winger Jones – you’ve tried it several times now and it doesn’t work.
The second substitution was by Reading. I don’t know why but they took Chadwick off. As he had caused Naylor and the defence no end of problems it must have been tactical. But it backfired, as Naylor was able to push on more.
When the goal came the relief was immense around the Molineux. I thought 1-1, back to their place we’ve got a chance. If Newton hadn’t scored there would have been a riot though. Ince was clearly fouled, a penalty should have been a certainty but the referee signaled play on. He must have been just as relieved when he saw the ball fly into the back of the net.
We then saw a reverse of fortunes. Reading looked like we did in the first half and we looked rampant. Ince was again fouled, this time on the edge of the box and Naylor smashed in the free kick – awesome!
Looking over to the Reading fans they didn’t know what had hit them. However, despite all Mr.Pardew’s jibes we are a different team, a more resilient team, than we have been for many a year.
If you’d said we’d win 2-1 before the game you’d have taken it but hoped for an extra goal. However, in the circumstances, when we were so awful in the first half it was an excellent result.
Reading will know they will have to battle just as hard now. Also they must have a psychological trauma of seeing a match winning position snatched from them. Hopefully, Forster won’t make the return leg as neither will Tyson so they might be a bit short in the forward department.
One thing for sure, it’s going to be one hell of an evening on Wednesday!
See you all there!
Come on the Wolves!
E-mail me with any comments/feedback to: dave@wolves-mad.co.uk