slightly abbreviated match thread as having computer issues. Toughie this one against the leaders at Molineaux. Will be a real test against a side who have spent a lot and also used the loan market shrewdly. Sounds like Maguire struggling to be fit, hopefully Barkuizen and Pearson up to speed will need them
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Preston North End Championship 21/10/2017 Molineaux 3pm A big test for the Whites this one against the big spending league leaders who under Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santos are apparently playing like Barcelona. Following the Chinese takeover last season they have invested in high profile players at big fees Costa cost £15 million, they also have a fair few loan players including Jota on loan from Athletico Madrid apparently he's not bad. They also have a solid base of English lads who have been there a while Price and Batth. A cosmopolitan squad with seven players from Portugal, be interesting to see how they rock up over the Christmas period when it's cold and they have to play four games in 10 days expect comments re winter break etc. Doubts about Barkuizen, Pearson and Maguire with the last named I suspect being a major doubt, be good to get a point here, very tough though. c North End travel to the Black Country on Saturday to face the league leaders, who have gone through somewhat of a revolution over the past couple of seasons. Now managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, with a number of continental stars at their disposal, Wolves have been playing some attractive football and winning matches on a regular basis. Last weekend, as they comfortably dispatched midlands rivals Aston Villa, there was a 30,000-plus crowd at Molineux and the same is expected for the visit of the Lilywhites. For North End, they have already toppled one league leading team this season, when they thrashed Cardiff City 3-0 at Deepdale in September, and are unbeaten in nine games going into the clash, so it will be a clash of two in form sides. Opposition View: Wolverhampton Wanderers 7 Hours ago please log in to view this image @pnefc The Lilywhites travel to the Black Country this weekend to face the league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have had a flying start to the new season. please log in to view this image Ticket News Ticket Information: Wolverhampton Wanderers 19 October 2017 Nuno Espirito Santo’s expensively-assembled side have impressed with not only their results, but their style of football in the opening weeks of the campaign and the Lilywhites can expect a tough test at Molineux. French centre half Willy Boly could be fit to return to the Portuguese manager’s plans, however, after last week’s impressive performance and result against Aston Villa, even if available after seven weeks out with a hamstring strain, he is unlikely to force his way into the back three of the league leaders. Speaking after his side’s 2-0 home victory against their Midlands rivals last weekend, Santo said: “The team is progressing and we are managing the game well. It's where we want to be, so we have to continue. “It's a long way to go and it's a tough competition. We want to improve in the next game. That's our challenge. We have to fight for three more points.” please log in to view this image Whilst during the week, skipper Danny Batth spoke to the media in the week, telling the Wolverhampton Express and Star that he and his team-mates weren’t getting away with being top of the EFL Championship table. “Keep working hard and keep doing the things that are getting you where you are right now,” Batth said of their plans. “Don't change anything and don't try and do anything too fancy. “If there are one or two in the dressing room who are getting a bit giddy you keep them tuned in, that is my job and the manager and the rest of the more experienced players. “All I think about at the moment is the form guide, that is how I look at it. It is a good start, but a lot of teams have had good starts in the past and got no-where near it. “The big picture will be just trying to beat Preston.” Stat Attack: Wolverhampton Wanderers 19 October 2017 please log in to view this image There are only two other clubs that we have faced more times in the EFL than Wolverhampton Wanderers and they are also fellow founder members, in Burnley and Bolton Wanderers. please log in to view this image However, as with all these opponents, we had met each other on numerous occasions prior to the league kicking off in September 1888. Wolves were our second opponents in that inaugural season and we comfortably overcame them 4-0 on our only league visit to their former Dudley Road ground. Our four goals came from Jimmy Ross, Jack Gordon and the Goodall brothers, Archie and John, who both scored in the same match. Since then, we have made 56 visits to Molineux, where Wolves moved to in 1889 and there have been some memorable results amongst them. Steve Bull cemented his growing reputation as a goalscorer with four goals in our record 6-0 defeat at Molineux in 1988, whilst the highest aggregate score saw us lose by the odd goal in seven in 1956, Harry Hooper’s hat-trick for Wolves proving decisive. Our 4-0 win in 1888 is still our biggest in Wolverhampton, but we also won 4-1 in 1951, Charlie Wayman and Ken Horton both scoring twice. More recently, we enjoyed 3-1 wins in both 2006 and 2009, coming back from conceding the first goal in both matches. Many players have graced both clubs, from old Invincibles Billy Rose and Sammy Thomson, through Willie Forbes in the 1950s, Ken Knighton and Graham Hawkins in the 1960s, George Berry, Mike Bennett and Paul Birch to more recent instances such as Matt Hill, Mark Rankine and Stephen Elliott. On This Date 21st October 1995 was the last occasion when two North end players scored hat-tricks in the same match, Steve Wilkinson and Andy Saville putting Mansfield Town to the sword at Deepdale in our 6-0 win. It was also on this date in 2001 that Jon Macken scored that goal against Manchester City in a 2-1 home win in front of the TV cameras, scoring from inside the centre circle over the flailing arms of Nicky Weaver in the City goal. Our great Australian centre half Joe Marston made his debut on 21st October in 1950, in a 4-1 defeat at Oakwell, as we lost to Barnsley. Joe went on to make exactly 200 appearances for North End and appeared in the 1954 FA Cup Final before returning to Australia and becoming a respected coach and administrator. Former players celebrating their birthdays today include Farrell Kilbane, Paul Masefield and Ian Stevens. Farrell made one appearance as a substitute in 1994 in a 3-1 home win over Torquay, the club his brother also made his debut against the following year. Paul was a colleague of Farrell that season, making nine appearances at right back, whilst Ian went on to make almost 550 club appearances for various teams, after starting with North End in the dark days of the mid-1980s. please log in to view this image last Five Games At Molineux Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Batth) Preston North End 0, 7th May 2017 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Mason) Preston North End 2 (Gallagher, Reach), 13th February 2016 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (Edwards, Evans) Preston North End 0, 11th Jan 2014 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Ebanks-Blake) Preston North End 3 (Elliott, 2; St. Ledger), 10th January 2009 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Henry) Preston North End 0, 1st December 2007
3-2 to the Wolves. Another penalty against NE and another lucky third goal. According to the BBC man at the match, NE were impressive in their work rate. It is a pity the final product doesn't match that work rate. NE were missing this season's most effective forward. Browne with 2 yellows will miss the next match.
Wolverhampton Wanderers please log in to view this image 3-2 please log in to view this image Preston North End Cavaleiro Bonatini 2 Hugill, Coady og Wolves 21Ruddy 6Batth 16Coady 25Miranda Booked at 85mins 2Doherty 8Neves 27Saiss Booked at 90mins 3Douglas Booked at 73mins 7Cavaleiro Substituted fo rEnobakhare at 75'minutes 33Bonatini Substituted for Costa at 75'minutes 18Jota Substituted for N'Diayeat 83'minutes Substitutes 4N'Diaye 5Bennett 12Marshall 17Costa 19Price 26Enobakhare 31Norris Preston 22Maxwell 14Fisher 23Huntington Booked at 71mins 20Davies 32Earl 4Pearson 11Johnson Booked at 90mins 29Barkhuizen 8 Browne Booked at 90mins 10 Harrop Substituted for Mavididi at 61'minutes 9 Hugill Booked at 90mins Substitutes 6Boyle 7Horgan 12 Gallagher 15 Woods 27 Mavididi 28 Hudson 37 Robinson Referee: Steve Martin Attendance: 27,352 Well this was a splendid game of football had everything, goals, bookings, sending off and a mass brawl throw into the mix a **** referee, what more could you want apart from a point which personal view think we deserved. The turning point in this one came after about 30 minutes in which North End had been excellent limiting Wolves to only one effort Jota which was narrowly over the top, apart from that North End had dominated didn't create a lot with only Johnson scopping over maybe should have done better. It was obviously that the Whites competitive game play was playing off hence from the half hour onward every tackle we put in their players started to get into complaint mode, same with the back room staff, the flow wasx stifled by Mr Martin blowing for every little thing worked for Wolves as we lost a bit of focus also led to the home side getting on top for the first time in the game. They took the lead on the stroke of half time, ball in from right which we had numerous chances to clear didn't and Cavaliero really couldn't miss although he nearly did, with Davies trying to clear from the line only to put it into his own goal. Early Hugill effort cleared off the line then two quick Wolves goal, first from a penalty which a side away from home would never get., think it was Harrop who allegedly brought down a home player, Bonatini just about scored, then he scored again a couple of minutes later looked soft again although North End had claimed a foul in build up. Under Grayson we probably have given up at this point but lovely cross onto Hugill's head, consolation only. Or was it? Barkuizen escaped down the right went for glory when Hugill was far better placed, didn't matter 14 minutes left it was game on, Barkuizen again down the right, no support so from just outside the right post, played the ball against Coady 3-2. All North End now Huntington tremendous shot blocked by a Wolves defender another effort possibly could have been handball in the area for North End not given. Wolves playing on the break were twice denied by Bens Pearson and Davies with great blocks and then it was fight time, Browne bought down a Wolves player and from then on it was bedlam, most players on the pitch joined in only surprise Pearson didn't get booked, everybody else did, however farce was to descend Browne having already left the pitch for his second booking was brought back onto the pitch to receive his yellow and red card, tremendous Mr Martin. Six minutes of injury time Wolves hanging on dearly survived Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo: "Three points is important, but what does not leave us totally pleased is our performance. In the first half, there was too much stopping, too much holding. "Refereeing is difficult and it is unfair for me to judge all the situations, but what I saw was too much holding on our players. He (referee Stephen Martin) must stop this and punish them. It's football, and holding is not part of football. "But we stood up to it. I'm not complaining about the game plan of our opponents. It's our job to find solutions, but there is a referee and we cannot find solutions for holding." Preston boss Alex Neil: "I thought that the penalty was extremely harsh. I have seen it back and there was not much contact. "Then if you look back at the third goal our goalkeeper is clearly impeded and the referee chooses to do nothing about it. "To add insult to injury at the end of the match there is a melee in the middle of the pitch, two of our players get booked, one gets sent off and one of theirs is booked and we have clear video footage that one of their players elbows Ben Pearson straight in the face. "I know it sounds like sour grapes, but I am fed up getting bad decisions against us at times."
