Wolves Fans' Verdict v Crystal Palace: Late show saved the day

Clive Smith

Reaction to the Result

We were the better team in the first half. Chances were wasted though and it didn't take long to feel the pain as a deflection and stupid yellow saw us losing and down to ten men. We were playing giants, unable to get much in their box, looking beaten and weary, we just needed to create a chance.

One chance, please, Traore wide, quality needed, just put in a decent cross, one chance, one decent chance, time was gone. The cross came, yes, get there, YES, yes, yes, Diogo, Diogo, Diogo yes, get in. Tired, no way; running on empty, I don't think so! A point! Relief. We love you Wanderers, we do.

Man of the Match

Jonny impressed, bottling Zaha up so he swapped wings, then getting constantly forward to help us get on the front foot. However, Willy Boly outshone him, often looking the only one able to stand up to the physical side of the game. He was strong throughout and would not have deserved to be on the losing side.

Something to Improve

Scoring first! We thought we had managed it a Leicester, it would be nice to take, and keep, a lead.

Adam Virgo

Reaction to the Result

Very good first half performance but we needed to take our chances.

The second half was very poor, we started far to slowly and before we knew it we were 1-0 down. The players seemed to lose confidence and when Saiss got his second yellow, which was idiotic on his behalf, I saw no way back into it for us.

Palace had big chances to kill the game but Patricio saved us massively and deserves so much credit for the point we got.

Thankfully we nicked an equaliser in the dying seconds which was deserved based on the entire performance but there’s still a lot we need to improve on and we need to get a win against Watford next week.

Man of the Match

Adama Traore and Rui Patricio were our best two players for sure.

Without Patricio making two very good saves at 1-0, we would have lost the game and he kept us in it.

Traore caused Palace a lot of problems and when he went to wing back he excelled even more, putting great deliveries in more often than not and it was his brilliant cross which put it on a plate for Jota.

Something to Improve

We need to start taking chances when we’re on top.

Against Braga we missed a few big chances at 0-0 and again today, we could have been 2-0 up at half time if we were more clinical.

We also need to be doing more than playing well for one half because having a very poor second half almost caused us to lose another game.

Hopefully that late equaliser will give everyone a boost though.

Rob Cartwright

Reaction to the Result

This was a fully deserved draw and it would have been a hammer blow to have suffered defeat, at the horrible Selhurst Park.

Nuno changed the pack once more and also, this time, his tactical formation in search of the illusive first league win.

No one could doubt that the team were really up for it. The first half was our best and most cohesive performance of the season. We took the game to Palace and created some good scoring chances. Doherty had the best two, perhaps, and also Jota should have put Wolves ahead by the break.

Palace scored with their first shot of the game and a heavy deflection off Dendoncker.

Wolves lost their rhythm and had to fight their way back into the game which to their credit they did. Spurred on by fantastic vocal support they created an equaliser with almost the last kick of the game.

Man of the Match

Two stand out players for Wolves in this game. Moutinho was excellent. He kept a calm head when others were losing theirs, after going behind. He makes space with the ball and looked for opportunities to move forward on every occasion.

Traore gets my man of the match vote. He ended the game on a high providing the perfect assist for Jota to score. Prior to this he had played in three different positions - forward, right midfield (where he was a little lost) and finally right wing back where he excelled. He was our most threatening player and the one Palace feared most.

Patricio also did well and kept us in the game at 1-0.

Something to Improve

Saiss spoiled a good performance with his sending off.

Why? No need for that challenge on Zaha near the half way line.

Dendoncker is disappointing me this season. He lacks confidence and this shows in his running, positivity with the ball and shooting. He was right to be replaced after an hour, but I’m not sure Neto was what was required. How we could have done with Cavaleiro to come on here!

Our biggest issue this season is not taking our scoring chances.

There would have been no surprise if we’d gone into half time 3-0 up.

Jimenez and Jota look tired. The impact of both Europa League and international selection the likely cause. Well Done to Jota for keeping going. He remained calm to score in the last minute and was completely dead on his feet at the end.

Russ Evers (Hatherton Wolves)

Reaction to the Result

A point was the least we deserved for the first half performance alone as we totally dominated a poor Palace side and should have been out of site at the break.

Second half was a totally different story with half-hearted tackles and sloppy passes leading to our seeming downfall.

But that late, late show may just be the turn of luck we need.

Man of the Match

Diogo Jota ran himself to a standstill and although he failed to pass when he could have a couple of times he deservedly bagged the equaliser.

Something to Improve

Discipline as in a game of no bad fouls, Saiss got sent off for two playground efforts which summed up the second half performance all bar the last twenty seconds.