Preston 0 Wolves 0 - match report Wolves lost three players to injury on a bruising opening-day encounter at Preston. Richard Stearman, Dave Edwards and George Elokobi â who replaced Stearman â all limped off as Wolves made a highly-competitive return to the third tier after a 24-year absence. Stearman limped off in the 32nd minute after coming off second best in a challenge with veteran striker Kevin Davies. The former Bolton striker then caught Edwards late in the 64th minute and left the Wales international with a leg injury, Edwards was followed by Elokobi 20 minutes from time after he pulled his groin as he crossed from the left wing. Wolves ended the game with captain Sam Ricketts, who had started at left-back, playing centre-half, and substitute Kevin Foley at left-back. It was pretty much a game of two halves, as the visitors had the better of the first period before they were bossed by Preston after the break, although the home side failed to create any clear-cut chances. Jackett handed Wolves league debuts to Ricketts, Lee Evans and Leigh Griffiths in an expected youthful line-up unchanged from the side that started against Real Betis last week. Wolves, defending the Kop end where their sell-out allocation of 5,000 fans were, edged the first half, creating the greater number of chances. But before they could show in front of goal, they had a let off in the third minute. Tom Clarke looked to have arrived with perfect timing to meet John Welshâs corner but the ball was just too high for him. Wolves, who were trying to be more positive going forwards with diagonal balls short and long to stretch the opposition, responded with a long-range shot from Evans which flew high and wide. But Bakary Sako was much closer, forcing the first save of the game in the 13th minute with a fierce, angled drive that was blocked by keeper Declan Rudd at the near post. Sako tried his luck again on 22 but this time his 30-yard effort was too high. There followed a scrappy period of the game where Davies put himself about with heavy but fair challenges on Danny Batth and Stearman, who was down for some time before eventually going off, and Wolvesâ young side briefly looked as if they were going to be bullied. But they responded with some firm tackles of their own and hit back to force the best chance of the half in the 37th minute. Leigh Griffiths adjusted his feet brilliantly to crash a volley goalwards at the far post but it was headed off the line after Rudd punched clear Rickettâs corner. A minute later, Clarke crashed a header a couple of feet over after a long throw breeched Wolvesâ back line. Three minutes before the break, Preston fans raged at the referee when Nick Wroe twice went down in the area under challenge from David Davis, who went to ground on both occasions. But it looked like good refereeing as there was no foul committed. Wolves went close again to taking the lead, this time in first-half injuy-time from another Ricketts corner, this time the combination of Rudd tipping away and Holmes on the line stopping it hitting the net. There was a bruising start to the second half when Davies went through on Ikeme after a surging run from the back by Clarke caused Wolves all sorts of problems. Ikeme came out bravely to block and was left injured and needed treatment before he could continue. Davies announced the start of the second half in crunching fashion with a challenge on keeper Carl Ikeme that left the Wolves keeper needing treatment after a surging run from the back by Clarke. But Wolves had the first sight of goal in the half with a shot by Griffiths on 54 which was deflected away. Elokobi was injured as he crossed from the left and he couldnât get back as Preston broke at speed, the ball worked to Nicky Wroe, who cut inside from the left before firing wide of the far post from the edge of the box. Wolves looked to have had a lucky escape in the 75th minute as Lee Holmes tumbled in the box when Matt Doherty put his arm out, but the referee waved play on. Not helped with the injuries, the visitors were looking a little over-run and five minutes later, Ricketts did brilliantly to prevent his former Bolton team-mate Davies putting Preston in front from point-blank range after substitute Will Hayhurstâs cross surprised Ikeme. Wolves had had to defend for long periods of the second half but they always looked capable on the break. And they had a real chance to steal the points in the second minute of time added on when substitute Jake Cassidy got to the byeline for a cross but both Bjorn Sigurdarson and Evans failed to connect before the referee blew for a foul. But ultimately it was a battling point that Wolves will be happy with.
Tom Clarke’s late winner handed Preston a 1-0 victory over Lancashire rivals Blackpool in a tense Capital One Cup first-round clash at Deepdale. Clarke’s 87th-minute close-range header from Lee Holmes’ free-kick sent the League One side through and prompted a full-time pitch invasion at the end of the match. Tom Ince could have put Blackpool ahead when he found himself through on goal but his 18th-minute shot from just inside the area was off-target. Angel Martinez went agonisingly close for Blackpool on 50 minutes after his header from Kirk Broadfoot’s cross went inches wide. Iain Hume then nearly put Preston ahead with his 63rd-minute shot that Matt Gilks did well to push around his post. Michael Chopra had a golden chance to give Blackpool the lead but his 72nd-minute header bounced into the pitch and over the bar. Blackpool pushed again and Bobby Grant’s 84th-minute corner found Broadfoot but the defender headed over, and with Clarke capitalising moments later, the SkyBet Championship side crashed out Ince was the usually big time manager ready to blame everything else on the defeat except his team shortcomings
