Wolves 1 Blackpool 2 - match report
Sorry Wolves made it seven games without a win as their Molineux misery continued with a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
Sorry Wolves made it seven games without a win as their Molineux misery continued with a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
Yet again it was an embarrassing second-half fade-out as they failed to hold onto a lead given to them by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in the 16th minute and Tom Ince's double on 45 and 78 minutes put the lid on another miserable afternoon for Wolves' long-suffering fans, who have now seen their team win just one of the last 11 home games.
Roger Johnson, who was at least partly at fault for Ince's equaliser, compounded an afternoon to forget when he was sent off in the second minute of time added on in an off-the-ball incident with Angel Martinez which saw the Blackpool midfielder pole-axed and he now faces a three-match ban.
The South Bank chanted 'where's the money gone' and 'We want Moxey out' after Blackpool's second goal and at full-time as the scale of the job new boss Dean Saunders has in front of him was laid bare.
Saunders is still searching for his first win after two draws and a defeat from his first three games in charge.
Wolves could now face a relegation battle, with wins for Bristol City, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday – all below them at the start of play – winning, to leave them 18th.
Ebanks-Blake, who could move on to an un-named promotion-chasing Championship club in the next week, should have made it 2-1 in the 54th minute when he was left with only Matthew Gilks to beat but the keeper's right leg denied him.
But from then on, Wolves faded alarmingly and Blackpool controlled the game as they eased to their first win at Molineux since September 1964.
Saunders initially made one change from the side that drew 1-1 at Sheffield Wednesday last week with Jamie O'Hara recalled for David Davis, who dropped to the bench.
O'Hara was making his first league start since March after hernia problems.
Saunders was soon forced into another change as Stephen Ward pulled out with a neck injury before kick off after being named in the starting line-up.
He was replaced by Slawomir Peszko, making his first start since October, with Kevin Foley starting at left back on his 200th appearance for the club.
Blackpool kicked off at a sparsely-filled and flat Molineux and it took a while for anyone to warm things up.
Eventually O'Hara had a full-blooded volley from 25 yards blocked when Bakary Sako picked him out from a corner.
But Wolves were bossing possession and they deserved the opener when it came.
Ronald Zubar, who enjoyed an impressive first half before going off injured in the 69th minute, produced a peach of a cross and Ebanks-Blake was unmarked as he planted a downward header to Gilks' right and into the far corner of the net.
Blackpool continued to be second best, Ince seeing a shot deflect off Christophe Berra and spin wide after beating Foley.
The Tangerines had penalty appeals waved aside on the half hour as Alex Baptiste fell over under challenge from Karl Henry.
Two minutes before the break, Wolves almost went 2-0 ahead when a defender nodded Sako's free kick inches over the bar under pressure from Kevin Doyle.
Then came the equaliser just before half-time to change the course of the game.
There seemed little danger as Johnson tried to cut out a cross, but as the ball spun back towards keeper Carl Ikeme, both players left the ball to each other and Ince nipped between them to poke the ball home from a tight angle.
After the restart, Ebanks-Blake had a glorious chance to put Wolves back in front from Peszko's cross after awful Blackpool defending left him in the clear, but Gilks denied him.
And from then on, Wolves wilted alarmingly and Blackpool pushed forwards at regular intervals, although both teams struggled to create chances.
Doyle produced a poor header from Henry's up and under cross straight at Gilks and then came the winner.
Ince took a short pass, cut inside and thundered home a low drive that swerved away from Ikeme, who got a hand to it but was beaten by the power, before O'Hara could get close enough to the winger.
That triggered angry scenes in the stands, with fans chanting 'where's the money gone?' and 'we want Moxey out'.
The one bright spot was provided by Stephen Hunt making his first Championship appearance of the season after four months out with a hip problem, on for Zubar, who injured his left leg.
But it's going to take a lot more than that to boost Wolves, who now face a tough task to arrest their slide at high-flying Leicester in front of the TV cameras next Thursday night.
