Wolves Fans' Verdict v Bristol City: Wow!

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match? As away days go, this was right up with the best. A sell out at the impressive ‘new’ Ashton Gate, with two in-form teams going toe to toe, from start to finish.

I was surprised to see a rare start for Batth...that wouldn’t last long though! Cavaleiro was hard done by to be on bench, though he was still going to have a big impact on this game.

It was Sheffield United revisited when Batth saw red for a two footed lunge on 14 minutes. That game wwas the end of September though and Wolves have moved up a level since then. It looked a straight red live, but I’m not so convinced watching replays, as he clearly took the ball cleanly.

Bristol had already forced Ruddy into two saves, by this point. However, apart from their goal, he wasn’t troubled for the next 80 minutes.

Wolves adjusted their game plan, sacrificing Bonatini, and though we surrendered possession, I can honestly say at no point during the game did I think we would lose. We looked comfortable for the last 15 minutes of the first half.

In fact, we came closest to scoring when Douglas hit the post from a free kick which was a whisker away from being a penalty following a foul on Jota.

Cue the inspirational half time team talk from Nuno.

The defence remained solid, even though Bristol moved the giant Flint up front. Wolves became more attacking too which resulted in a great second half.

The fact that Bristol scored first was a mere set back. There was no panic. We simply waited for our chances with the patient Cavaleiro itching to enter the fray.

When he came on with half hour to play, he proved to be the game changer. His extra pace and ball control immediately gave us the momentum. The pendulum had swung in our favour.

It was set pieces and the sweet left foot of Barry Douglas that produced the goals.

When Cavaleiro put Doherty through on goal I’d have preferred a goal to the red card for them. However, the Douglas free kick meant we got both. I think the majority watching behind that goal were, like me, expecting Douglas to score. Game on!

Flint was moved back to defence. Lee Johnson handed us the initiative with that change. The next 30 minutes was just fantastic. I knew we would score again.

I hadn’t realised just how late we left it – 22 seconds from the end of added time. Perfect.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? The fans were superb all night. Kept singing throughout and when 1-0 down we must have given the players a lift.

Credit to Ruddy for two early saves – his kicking was amiss but he did the stuff that really matters.

Coady, Doherty and Boly were excellent. Douglas was superb. Bennett the unsung hero of the night.

Neves, Saiss and Jota all put a shift in, making up for the extra man they had for over an hour, Costa was ineffective and the substitution was both right and perfectly timed.

Man of the match was Douglas and man of the year is Nuno (what a celebration).

Happy New Year to all the Wolves family. You can’t help but look at the league table and smile.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

What's your verdict on the match? On the sixth day of Christmas Nuno sent to me Barry Douglas at number three.

A game where we totally controlled it when numbers were equal despite the ref repeating his feat at Sheffield United by sending our centre half off after 15 minutes.

Even then we hit the post at 0-0 and then showed fight and commitment to come back after Bristol's only real proper move of the match.

Our luck changed when the full-on Cavaleiro replaced the out-of-sorts Costa and any team who then go for it by bringing another striker on late on surely deserve something.

At the end it was Douglas who made the difference and not once, but twice. So we complete Christmas by being 10 points clear at the top while Sandwell remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. Merry Christmas!!

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match? Farewell to 2017 – a year that began with two away wins in January against Premier League sides Stoke and Liverpool that we thought would be our greatest away days of the year. In context of where we look to be headed as 2017 comes to a close, this one was even better.

On a rare occasion that a Sky kick off move was greeted with some positivity owing to the extra couple of hours we’d get to sample some of the superb bars of Bristol, courtesy of ‘Jason Jefferies Guided Cider Tours’, I arrived at Ashton Gate, in apple-fuelled merriment, eagerly awaiting an entertaining game.

Boy, did I get one?!!

After a reasonable first 10 minutes where both teams seemed to be looking to suss each other out the game sparked into life in a five-minute flurry of drama including a sending-off, touchline drama and Wolves almost going ahead.

There was debate in the stands over whether Batth should have been sent off for his challenge. Personally I felt it wasn’t even a foul, let alone a dismissal, and can recall numerous challenges made on Costa, Cavaleiro and, particularly, Jota this season that have been much, much worse than Danny’s.

It was a decision that Nuno was evidently unhappy with, especially with Johnson and co's reaction in the City dugout and he spent the next few minutes remonstrating with the fourth official, culminating in his second touchline dismissal of the season when he reacted angrily to the absence of a card, or a penalty, when Jota was brought down right on the edge of the box. A player down, a manager down but, very nearly, a goal up when Douglas whipped a wicked free kick against the City post from the Jota decision.

At this point many fans would fear the worst for their side but the feeling among many around me was that we would just lock it down, stay tight at the back and still come away with something from the game.

For a while it seemed that would be the case but City made their extra man count not long into the second half with a decent passing move that pulled Douglas, Boly and Coady out of their positions and allowed Reid in to finish, via deflection off Bennett’s boot, under Ruddy. Still, there were people in the stand saying we weren’t out of the game, even a man down. The belief in this side is stronger than a pint of Old Bristolian cider.

The game changing decision was the introduction of Cavaleiro from the bench for an out of sorts Costa. Within two minutes he’d slipped a beautiful pass through the City back line to set a rampaging Doherty through on goal, only to be brought down by the onrushing City keeper Fielding. The result was a free kick and an evening up of the numbers on field as the game’s second red card was brandished. 10 v 10 again and some hope in the stand that we could get something out of the game again.

Step up, Mr Douglas.

Having smacked the woodwork earlier, the Scottish sorcerer stepped up and dispatched the ball past Luke Steele to equalise and level the scoreboard as well as the personnel. Pandemonium in the away end, silence in the home end. 25 minutes to go and everything to play for.

There only looked one team likely to go on and win it after the equaliser and the noise from the away end continued as it had from the first minute, vociferous in backing the team. Deep into injury time it looked like we’d be heading home with a point but some great tenacity from Saiss won us a free-kick with 30 seconds left of added time. One more chance for Deadly Douglas to create some magic. When Bennett met his free kick at the back post the away end erupted. Limbs everywhere, fans in each others’ arms, being hoisted into the air or, in my case, dumped to the ground in an aisle beneath a pile of bodies!

The team in second place had taken us on, in their own patch, with an extra man for more than half a game, and we’d left with yet another victory. A season defining moment, wildly celebrated by supporters, players and, most notably, Nuno, as we sent out a distinct message to the rest of the division that this team will not lie down, will not accept defeat even when the odds are stacked against us, and our bond is unshakeable.

Happy New Year everyone!

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match? Many people say they think we are mad for travelling up and down the country following Wolves but that last minute is why we do it! Such a special moment for the team and fans.

It was always going to be a tight contest and the first 10 minutes were quite even – an entertaining start. I couldn’t really see the Batth red card, from our angle it looked like Danny had just got himself in a silly situation. The mindset changed after that and we played more conservatively but I wouldn’t say Bristol were on top. We held our own for the rest of the half and the conversations in the stand at half time were that we could just nick it on the counter.

Second half it became more obvious a Bristol goal was almost a certainty. After that came it all changed, once the we had the introduction of a certain Mr Cavaleiro. Almost instantly he changed the game, he added the speed and intensity that had dropped off.

After a matter of minutes he had put Doherty through on goal which would of been a certain equaliser and the most blatant red card you will ever see! Thankfully Barry Douglas converted the free kick otherwise that sending off wouldn’t have felt so sweet.

After that I think we would have been disappointed with a draw, but it could have also gone Bristol’s way. The fight Wolves showed right up to the last minute was so great to see.

As Douglas lined up the free kick there was an air of excitement – the guy has such a talent for these dead ball kicks that any free kick turns into a goal scoring opportunity. He is becoming probably the most important player for us.

Bennett finished very well after getting himself into the right place at the right time. After that it was just pure bedlam in the away end and, it appears, on the pitch. I think the celebrations showed what that goal meant to everyone at the club. I think it will become a defining moment in our season, the moment we showed who we really are.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? Superb from all the team especially Cavaleiro and Barry Douglas.

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match? In a season of 50 matches some are only remembered for the score, the rest of the game is forgotten. This was not one of those games.

Some three points seem bigger than others, some games prove to be significant pivotal moments, not always apparent at the time. Immediately this feels like one of those moments.

Bristol started like a team full of confidence and had two good attempts...then a red card for Danny left us with 75 minutes to play with only 10 men.

I was surprised Bonatini was sacrificed for Bennett to come on. Costa would have been my choice

The formation changed, obviously, and the game did too. We defended well up to half time with Bristol playing in front of us mostly, unable to get down be wings to put crosses in.

We dealt well with their aerial threat too however our attacking options were limited. Douglas and Doherty were pure full backs, Neves and Saiss busy in the middle, possession could not be kept by Jota or Costa for very long.

Our only attacking threat came when Jota won a free kick on the edge of the box – Douglas easily beat the keeper but had no luck when his shot hit the post.

Bristol increased the tempo after the interval and that helped them take the lead. A move from half way saw them go forward and score. For all the good things Neves does, this was the second game in a row that the opposition have run away from him and it has led to a goal. Disappointing.

There were plenty of twists still to come. We reverted back to Plan A with a substitution – Cavaleiro replaced Costa and changed the game. Yes we were now behind and chasing the game but he brought more strength, pace and enthusiasm into our game. Of all people it was he who made a defence splitting pass to Doherty. He had got behind their defence and cutting inside was tripped by the keeper outside the box. Moments later we were back to parity, 10-a-side and 1-1. From then on there was only one likely winner.

We had wing backs in full flight, diagonal passes and possession in the final third. Cavaleiro was here, there and everywhere. The momentum had swung significantly our way.

We were on top for the final 25 minutes. Our pressing paid off in the dying seconds of the match. It was Saiss who challenged for the ball on the by line. Still full of energy having had to do an overtime shift.

His effort was rewarded with a free kick. A Douglas assist, a Bennett goal and pandemonium in the away end. How good did that all feel?

The TV highlights showed Nuno behaving like a fan in the away end. Priceless. Sadly Bristol failed to show that on the huge screens in the ground.

The atmosphere reminded me of the old North Bank days. The crowd packed in, it got hotter and hotter throughout the game. When we scored you wanted to hug everyone within five yards. It is days like this that remind you why you bother. All the rubbish games, results, performances are all forgiven and forgotten. A brilliant game like today makes up for those.

It was not quite an 'Anfield moment' but it was heading that way .

Although somewhat premature – it felt totally justifiable chanting 'Wolves are going up' at the final whistle. From the jaws of defeat....

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

It was a day where the sum of all the parts proved the winner. Cliches like fight, endeavour, commitment and team spirit all come to mind.

Ruddy did well early on but his distribution was poor. Had someone got the measurements of the pitch width wrong?

Douglas - hit the post, scored and got an assist. Guess he had a good day! Doherty looked off it for an hour but then came to life in a big way.

Batth - he will be gutted with the card. Tough call. He has no need to challenge that far up the field.

Many times it would not have been a red - Kane and Dele Alli have made similar challenges recently and not been sent off. His foul though could, and probably should, have cost us the game.

Coady continues to amaze with his pace and covering at such a quality level.

Boly was not as dominant as usual. Some poor clearances and silly passes but he was still strong in our box.

Bennett, on early, raised his game. Good in the air and while covering Reid when he was twisting and turning with the ball at his feet.

Like many times Saiss got stronger and more influential as the game wore on. Despite looking totally out of it he still had the energy in the 94th minute to earn that winning free kick.

Neves showed his passing and control were in good working order but there was another yellow card and his man marking needs to improve.

Bonatini had just one half chance before being taken off.

Costa had a game that frustrates the hell out of me (is it just me?) His decision making was poor and playing soft little flicks as passes will rarely come off. He lost us possession so many times.

Although a thankless task to a degree, Jota struggled running that loan figure centrally up top. You sense there is an outstanding performance due anytime soon.

Cavaleiro was excellent. Perhaps best suited to a cameo performance, rather than starting, he deserves man of the match for turning the game around (sorry Barry).

Recovery after the fatigue and energy drain from this game will be a challenge. I should be ok however.

Hopefully the players will be too. Whoever decided to next play Tuesday instead of Monday deserves a pat on the back.

Best wishes for 2018 to everyone.

Russ Cockburn

What's your verdict on the match? They say football is a drug, well that was one of the best ‘highs’ I’ve ever had. Better than a night in with Lorraine Kelly and Darcy Bussell and better than Salopian Lemon Dream on tap.

This Wolves team is pretty special and what a season they are giving us. Everything that could go against us did last night, yet we were able to show tremendous spirit, good defensive shape and quality in the final third to turn the game on its head.

This was as good a comeback as Dirty Den. The league table now reads 11 points clear of third place, but more importantly the manner of the victory dealt a psychological blow to the rest of the league.

It wasn’t a vintage performance. That was pretty much taken away from us when the ref harshly decided to send Batth off for winning the ball. Another game, another clueless official...where does the FA find so many people without a brain cell? It’s like they’re shopping for refs at Sandwell Job Centre.

Despite losing Danny and Nuno, the players somehow dug in and managed to make life difficult for Bristol City, restricting them to few clear cut opportunities. When their goal came it was the result of us losing possession and Coady being dragged over to cover, a rare mistake from our Liverpudlian captain.

I’d pretty much settled for our first loss in eleven games, but thankfully our team hadn’t. Sparked by the arrival of Cav, the game changed in a second. Doherty, who was surging more than an Uber ride on New Year’s Eve, drew a foul from Fielding and gave Barry the opportunity to use his wand of a left foot. 1-1!

We looked the mostly likely scorers for the last 24 minutes and right on cue Bennett steered home a header in the last minute to send the away end ballistic. If you could bottle the feeling when the ball hit the net you would be a millionaire.

In half a season Nuno has transformed us from a boring mid-table team into one that is bossing a very competitive Championship. His celebrations last night shows how much he has invested in this project and long may it continue…the best thing to come out of Portugal since Superbock.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? I haven’t always been a big fan of his, but game-by-game Saiss is changing my opinion. Last night he provided fantastic protection for the back four, as well as retaining possession well for us.

He even made two great runs late on, one being well saved by Steele and the other winning the free-kick that led to our eventual winner.

On the negative side, I was disappointed with Costa. He seems to be lacking confidence and lost the ball on a lot of occasions when we had decent chances to break. I haven’t lost faith, but something needs to change so we can see the player of last season back in the gold and black.

Finally, a big well done to Jason Jefferies, who not only planned an immaculate bar crawl but also managed to rustle the entire Bristol City fan base with his own goal celebration gifs. If you’re on Twitter, look them up!

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match? What a way to end 2017. No idea where you’re meant to start with this one, I thought Millwall was a cracking game but this was something else. Could potentially be the best away day/game of 2017 (especially in the league), being the last one of the year makes it even more special too.

The way the game panned out, no one could have predicted it. I don’t think Batth should have seen red...it was a yellow at worst looking back at it. When they went 1-0 up, I couldn’t really see a way back for us at the time but the players showed unbelievable fight and determination to come back, even to 1-1 never mind to win it at the death.

Nuno’s celebration at the end tells its own story. His passion for football and winning is so big and I don’t think anyone can blame him for celebrating like he did. Lee Johnson would have done the exact same if it was them beating us in that manner at Molineux.

It’s difficult to put into words what yesterday was like. The manner in how we came back to win, the first time we’ve done that this season, against a good side too and it being 11 v 10 for over half of the game. In football, you live for moments like that and I’m sure come May, we’ll all look back and realise how important the 3 points actually were.

Who played well – and who didn't impress? You can only start with one man here and that’s Roberto Douglas, or Barry Carlos, whichever you want to call him. His left foot is magical, I, like many wolves fans thought his free kick in the first half was in and at that moment I had flashbacks of Sheffield United, when Neves hit the post from the penalty.

His goal had a stroke of luck but fully deserved and his delivery for the winner was exceptional. He wasn’t outstanding from open play but from set pieces he caused them problems and a player like Barry can help you win a game from dead ball situations.

Saiss did an excellent job in the middle with Neves, especially being down to 10 men which made it a lot harder for us. Saiss won us the free kick which he did superbly for to get the winning goal and he moved the ball very well throughout.

Doherty must have ran the distance from Bristol to Wolves on the pitch last night. The guy just doesn’t stop marauding forwards when we have the ball, constantly up and down that right flank all game. Won the free kick for the equaliser too after a great run which caught them out completely.

Cavaleiro and Bennett, super subs at their finest for different reasons. Cav did everything Costa wasn’t doing, getting on the ball, making things happen, he was the game changing factor last night.

Bennett obviously came on due to Batth being sent off and he defended really well, was a bit surprising he got dropped but maybe it was for the fact Batth could then man mark Aden Flint so I can understand that. Not scored all season and I doubt he’s scored many in his career either so I’m pretty sure that’ll be one of the most important goals he’s scored.

Costa was poor last night, he struggled a lot to keep hold of the ball whereas Cavaleiro was able to do wonders. Cav will start against Brentford now with Costa on the bench i’d imagine.

Hopefully we can kick start 2018 how we’ve ended 2017 and win on Tuesday night. There’s been some very good away games and then ever since appointing Nuno, it’s been all uphill since and it’s only going to get better by the looks of it.