Classic match report - Cardiff 1 Wolves 9, 1955

But they will have to go some to match their best win away at Cardiff – or their best victory away at any team, for that matter.

It was in September 1955 when Wolves recorded their biggest ever away success, thrashing Cardiff 9-1 at Ninian Park.

Johnny Hancocks scored three, as did Roy Swinbourne (to take his tally to nine in five games) as Wolves recorded almost a quarter of their away goals for that entire season in just one match.

Stan Cullis' team began the scoring just 30 seconds in through Hancocks and were 5-0 up at half time.

The drubbing was the biggest in the top flight of English football for 47 years, since Sunderland did the same at arch rivals Newcastle in 1908.

A week earlier goal-mad Wolves had beaten Manchester City 7-2 at Molineux, and a week later they would hammer Huddersfield 4-0 (when Swinbourne scored another hat-trick).

Amazingly they finished only third that year – and lost the Cardiff rematch 2-0.

Their shortcomings had a lot to do with the absence of Swinbourne who scored an incredible 17 in the first 11 matches of the season, but suffered a terrible knee injury against Luton in November and never played for Wolves again.

Post-Cardiff, Cullis, ever the perfectionist, still wasn't satisfied with the 9-1 win

The following Monday, instead of going easy on his players, he had them working hard on the training ground - doing shooting practice.

Cardiff 1 Wolves 9, September 3, 1955

Not that anybody who followed them was dissatisfied with their 9-1 win (their best ever in the First Division and the best in the competition since Sunderland did the same at Newcastle in 1908), but they were so completely on top that only a matter of sheer luck prevented the ball getting even more often past the unhappy Howells.

This was the day to justify that well-worn soccer expression "there was only one team in it" for Cardiff's resistance was a mere token of their presence on the field.

As serious challengers for the points they were never in the reckoning.

For this they are more to be pitied than blamed for from the moment Hancocks began the riot with his opening goal in 30 seconds (and this after three unsuccessful attempts had already been made) Cardiff did not have a chance.

Their experienced backs, Stitfall and Sherwood, could make nothing at all of Mullen and Hancocks, no matter who attempted to mark whom and it was the two famous wingers, playing directly contrasting parts, who were the stars of the piece.

Mullen, himself a scorer, stayed out on the left wing and lifted or drove the ball regularly across goal.

Hancocks became the happy wanderer turning up in every forward position to get his first hat-trick in an away match and to have the crowd yelling their approval, although he was making their faces red in the process.

And before the game he was considered a doubtful starter!

It was a great day for Swinbourne, too, for this was the first time since he became Wolves leader that he has scored a hat-trick in successive Saturdays to bring his scoring total to nine in five games.

Broadbent weighed in with a couple, and the only forward who did not score was young Booth, whose work in support of his other colleagues made his part completely worthy.

Even the goals, however, do not give the complete reflection of Wolves superiority which seemed always to give them two men to Cardiff's one.

Slater and Clamp dominated the middle of the field and behind them Wright and the backs were seldom in real trouble so that Williams, beaten in the last six minutes by Stockin, was virtually a spectator.

This was Wolves at their best and, for the record, here is the goal scoring catalogue: 30 sec Hancocks, 10min Hancocks, 14 Mullen, 19 Swinbourne, 35 Hancocks, 56 Swinbourne, 67 Broadbent, 76 Broadbent, 82 Swinbourne, 84 Stockin.

WOLVES: Williams, Stuart, Shorthouse, Slater, Wright, Clamp, Hancocks, Broadbent, Swinbourne, Booth, Mullen.

Attendance: 40.060