Source: Team_Talk
Ward hands Wolves winning start
Stephen Ward's superbly-struck volley gave Wolves a 2-1 Premier League opening-day victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday.[LNB] The Irishman's winner got Wolves off to a flying start just three months after defeat to the same Rovers side almost cost Mick McCarthy's men their top-flight status.[LNB]Ward lashed home a left-foot shot in the 48th minute after Paul Robinson saved Kevin Doyle's penalty and the ball was only half-cleared into Ward's path.[LNB]Steven Fletcher had swiftly equalised a debut goal by Mauro Formica in the first half of a match that was a repeat of their survival showdown on the final day of last season.[LNB]Wolves started with with new signing Roger Johnson as captain while Rovers boss Steve Kean kept his host of new signings, with the exception of Formica, on the bench.[LNB]It was Kean's men who started better and they almost grabbed the lead in the fourth minute when Morten Gamst Pedersen found space on the right to deliver a low cross.[LNB]Junior Hoilett stretched his left foot at the far post and looked to have prodded his side ahead, only for Wolves keeper Hennessey to gather in a goal-line melee.[LNB]With Rovers still stunned by their near miss, Wolves broke up the other end and Matt Jarvis almost teed up Doyle in the box before the linesman flagged for offside.[LNB]Johnson was the first player in referee Kevin Friend's book for a foul on Morten Gamst Pedersen but David Dunn's dangerous-looking free-kick came to nothing with Brett Emerton firing the rebound over the bar.[LNB]Jason Roberts' persistence paid off after 20 minutes when he squeezed through two defenders and fed Formica who nudged a left-foot shot across Hennessey and into the net from a tight angle.[LNB]But Wolves were level just three minutes later when Matt Jarvis dug out an excellent cross from the right and Fletcher rose in the box to head past Robinson.[LNB]Buoyed by their unexpected equaliser, Wolves continued to press and might have gone ahead after 28 minutes when Stephen Hunt blazed just over after some neat play in the box.[LNB]Rovers regrouped and, led by the bustling Roberts, forced their way back into the game. Formica had a hopeful penalty appeal turned down after falling under a Karl Henry challenge.[LNB]It was Wolves who won a penalty within a minute of the restart when Friend deemed Michel Salgado had hauled down Jarvis close to the by-line.[LNB]Doyle's penalty was saved by Robinson low to the keeper's left but the ball was only half-cleared and fell to Ward who lashed home a left-foot shot from just inside the box.[LNB]Wolves almost went further ahead after 51 minutes when substitute Kevin Foley crossed to Fletcher who had time to chest the ball down in front of goal before a crucial interception by Steven Nzonzi.[LNB]McCarthy's men, looking confident and tenacious, continued to pin the home side back in their own half and already the first murmurings of discontent were evident among the Rovers support.[LNB]In a rare chance, Roberts and Nzonzi contrived to miss a David Dunn corner in the Wolves six-yard box and Kean responded by throwing on David Goodwillie for the final 20 minutes.[LNB]It was another substitute, Ruben Rochina, who came closest to an equaliser for Rovers in the 75th minute when he lashed a long-range effort just wide.[LNB]Goodwillie also came close with a shot on the turn in the 83rd minute but Rovers' quest for an equaliser petered out and the boos at the final whistle suggested a hard season ahead.
