For the first time in four months, Albion gaffer Tony Mowbray named an unchanged side from the one that drew 1-1 against Watford at the Hawthorns the previous weekend.  Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was without midfielder Karl Henry.

Albion started the brighter of the two sides, creating the games first real chance in the 4^th minute when Zoltan Gera centred for Ishmael Miller from the right.  Despite connecting with the cross Miller might have done better, his header finding only the roof of the net.

In the 9^th minute Gera in the action again caught the Wolves midfield lapsing as he took a quick throw in which found Carl Hoefkens, who crossed to a waiting Miller in the box.  Miller was able to spin Wolves defender Jody Craddock before unleashing a low hard drive, but Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey was more than equal to the shot.

It took the hosts Wolves 11 minutes to get their first real threat in, when they did it was Matt Jarvis who broke with speed down the left to centre for the waiting Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, McCarthy’s January signing from Plymouth.  But the powerhouse of a striker squandered his chance from 12 yards without even testing Kiely with his header.

West Brom should have taken the lead just two minutes later when a right wing free kick from Jonathan Greening was headed off the post by Gera.  Albion kept pressing Wolves who were working hard but looking vulnerable at the back, and in the 16^th minute another chance went begging when a low free kick from Gera flashed across the face of goal just inches away from the outstretched foot of Kevin Phillips.

Sixty seconds later another chance went begging for Albion as they began applying some serious pressure to their Midland’s neighbours.  In the left hand corner of the park Miller held the ball up superbly before spinning Neil Collins to take a shot on goal.  Hennessey could not hold on to Miller’s effort and the loose ball fell to Phillips, but his header went out for a goal kick.

Wolves were very nearly gifted a lead in the 24^th minute when an unusual mistake from Paul Robinson allowed winger Michael Gray to dispossess him before cutting inside to get a shot in which fell straight to Dean Kiely.  Moments later Wanderers created a glorious opportunity when Ebanks-Blake paced down the right, taking a vital block from Leon Barnett to prevent the cross when Olofinjana was poised in a great position to knock the ball home.

In the 32^nd minute a huge goal mouth scramble ensued from a Jarvis corner kick.  The initial shot from Jody Craddock was blocked, as were the next two efforts, with cries of handball from around the stadium in an incident that was neither clear cut nor apparently seen by the linesman and referee. 

As the scramble unravelled the ball broke to Miller who released Morrison down the middle.  Morrison did well to hold off the challenges of Foley before unleashing a 12 yard effort at Hennessey which the keeper dealt with well.  Two minutes before half time a superb one handed save from Hennessey was the only thing preventing a superbly struck free kick from Neil Clement finding the back of the net.

Half Time: Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

A half time substitution by Mowbray saw Roman Bednar replace Ishmael Miller up front.  But the first real chance of the half came to Wolves in the 52^nd minute when a cross at the far post fell nicely for Gray.  But he could not control his effort sufficiently to trouble Kiely. 

But as the half progressed it was clear that only one of these sides was in any real control, and it wasn’t Wolves.  Wolves were given a stark warning in the 58^th minute when Kevin Phillips smashed a skidding shot off the left hand upright.  Just a minute later Albion took a deserved lead, their periods of pressure finally paying off.

A long ball from Clement caught the Wanderers defence napping, and as hands for offside flew up it was clear to all that Phillips was well onside and had got the better of the offside trap.  He paced towards goal making easy meat of the tracking back Craddock to square across the box to allow Gera a simple shot home.

The goal killed off any spirit and motivation that had been left in McCarthy’s men as Albion entered training day kick around mode, causing at times great deals of embarrassment from the home fans with their dominance.  In the 63^rd minute Morrison searched for a second goal, but his effort was just over from long range.

It took Wolves until the 67^th minute to record a second half effort on goal, a solo but sweetly struck effort from Darron Gibson produced a stunning save from Kiely from 25 yards out.  In the 69^th minute Hennessey struggled to hold onto a cross from Gera, just about recovering in time to prevent Bednar from pouncing.

Wolves put plenty of balls forward in the final ten minutes and finished the game with four strikers on the pitch, Andy Keogh dropping to midfield when Freddy Eastwood came on, and Kevin Kyle coming on later to join him and Ebanks-Blake up front.  But it was typical of Wolves season, lack of real quality in the final third seeing Albion breeze home to a victory without really being troubled.  Kiely’s only other second half save coming Olofinjana at the left hand post in the final minutes.

Full Time: Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 West Bromwich Albion

Gera (59)

Attendance: 27,883

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