Wolves 2 Real Zaragoza 0
Wolves completed their pre-season with a thoroughly deserved win against Spanish visitors Real Zaragoza.
Wolves completed their pre-season with a thoroughly deserved win against Spanish visistors Real Zaragoza.
Second-half goals in the space of six minutes from George Elokobi and Steven Fletcher earned a third successive victory for Mick McCarthy's men, in their final warm-up game before the Premier League season starts at Blackburn next weekend.
Half-time substitute Elokobi bundled home from two yards out in the 59th minute, after Roger Johnson headed fellow sub Adam Hammill's corner back into the danger area.
And Fletcher doubled their lead in the 65th minute with a curling free kick into the top corner after he was fouled by Javier Parades Arango 20 yards out,.
Both goals came in front of the rapidly-emerging new £16million North Stand with 11,069 supporters at a three-sided Molineux.
It was a highly satisfactory workout for Wolves, who moved the ball around well in a competitive encounter that suggested they are coming to the boil at the right time.
Just before the first goal, Jamie O'Hara almost executed a repeat of his goal of the season at Albion.
Then the £3.5million signing from Tottenham forced goalkeeper Leonardo Neoren Franco into a superb save from a swerving shot heading for the top corner, after a knock on from sub Stefan Maierhofer and lay-off by Fletcher.
It was little surprise when the two goals followed and it could have been three, had Fletcher not stabbed against the underside of the bar on 68 minutes from Zubar's cross.
Jarvis also hit the sidenetting after a flowing move that culminated in a Fletcher pass to leave him clean through.
In a flurry of second-half substitutions, it was pleasing to see academy midfielder Anthony Forde get a debut and show some neat footwork.
Wolves were the sharper of the two teams throughout the first-half, too.
They almost took the lead after just three minutes when Matt Jarvis forced the ball home, but Karl Henry was punished for holding following Kevin Doyle's cross.
It was all Wolves in the opening stages and after Doyle was fractionally away from stabbing home Stephen Ward's cross, while Hunt saw a shot just deflected wide after Doyle crossed to Steven Fletcher who laid the ball back into his path.
But Wolves had to be alert at the other end and Ward cleared off the line from Ikechukwu Uche, after Real caught the hosts on the break.
Wolves had a scare and were perhaps lucky not to fall behind in the 40th minute, when Angel Lafita Castillo failed to convert Leonardo Daniel Ponzio's cross from six yards out.
But Wolves missed a golden chance from the same range on the stroke of half-time, when Ward put Jarvis clean through but he was denied by goalkeeper Leonardo Neoren Franco.




