Express & Star

Wolves 6 Rotherham 4 - match report and pictures

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Nouha Dicko scored his first Wolves hat-trick as Kenny Jackett's side took a step closer to the League One title with a 6-4 win over Rotherham.

Watched by 30,110 – Molineux's biggest crowd for over 33 years - Dicko scored the first hat-trick of his career (20, 33 and 79) against his former loan club and was matched by The Millers' striker Kieran Agard (13, 61 and 88).

Dave Edwards (38) made it 3-1 to Wolves but Joe Skarz (84) made it 4-3 before Agard's treble levelled it only for Ricketts's first for Wolves on 89 and Kevin McDonald in the six minutes of time added on sealed it.

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Wolves go to Leyton Orient on Monday lunchtime still needing up to four more points to seal the title after Brentford beat Preston 1-0.

Head coach Kenny Jackett named an unchanged line-up from the side that beat Crewe 2-0 last week to clinch promotion.

The kick off was delayed for 10 minutes to allow the 30,000-strong crowd chance to get in safely after an accident on the M1 held up Rotherham fans.

When the teams eventually emerged, Wolves were given a huge reception from a Molineux awash with colour.

Wolves had a chance in the second minute when Edwards headed over from point-blank range from a Michael Jacobs free kick after the latter drove at the defence and was brought down by Nicky Adams.

But Rotherham made the better start and Adams had a shot blocked for a corner after Wolves failed to clear Michael O'Connor's free-kick.

And it was from the resulting set-piece that Rotherham took the lead when Agard glanced home O'Connor's flag-kick beyond the fingertips of keeper Carl Ikeme, who conceded for the first time in 391 minutes on his 100th appearance for the club.

Wolves had some defending to do after the goal as Rotherham's tails were up.

But seven minutes after going behind, Wolves were level through a clinical finish form Dicko.

The French striker stabbed home from almost on the line after Sako held off his man and crossed from the left following a pass inside right-back James Tavernier from Edwards.

The equaliser settled Wolves down again and they remained the better side in possession, although they never lost their composure even when they went behind.

Although they looked comfortable with the ball, Wolves were in ruthless mood in front of goal, with all three first-half goals coming from their only serious chances.

And they went ahead for the first time when Dicko held off a defender to slot home right-footed from the edge of the six-yard box after Jacobs fed Sam Ricketts for a diagonal ball that split the defence and left him with only keeper Adam Collin.

Five minutes later Wolves extended their lead with a lovely goal crafted by Scott Golbourne.

Exchanging a one-two with Bakary Sako, Golbourne cut infield and set off with a driving run which took him inside the area, where he slipped a neat ball through to Edwards, who calmly slotted home first time for his eighth goal of the season, third in as many games and fifth in seven.

But if Wolves – who swapped Lee Evans for James Henry at half-time - thought they had secured the points, they had another thing coming.

Haris Vuckic saw an angled shot tipped over then headed straight at Ikeme as Rotherham started the second half trying to clzaw their way back into the game.

And they didn't have long to wait as Agard squeezed the ball home from a loose ball after Danny Batth headed it then lost the ball in the sun and Richard Stearman couldn't get there to clear it.

A great run from Ricketts saw the captain wriggle through via a lucky bounce and hit the inside of the post on 75, the ball evading Edwards, who was closest.

But Wolves restored their two-goal cushion when Dicko completed his hat-trick, slotting home Edwards's cross after the latter had broke onto Henry's pass down the channel.

Rotherham made it 4-3 with the first of four goals in the last six minutes when Joe Skarz got between Batth and the sliding Ricketts to volley home James Tavernier's cross before Agard deflected home Tavernier's shot to send Ikeme the wrong way to level and seal his hat-trick.

But with both teams going end to end, Wolves broke to win it as Ricketts curled home a screamer from 25 yards after exchanging passes with Edwards then Dicko teed up McDonald to sweep home into the roof of the net for the sixth.