- Milijas (15), Doyle (50)
- Date:2009-12-20
- Kick-off:13:30
- Venue:Molineux Stadium
- Attendance:27410
- Referee:Atkinson, M
Live Commentary
95mins
Fulltime: Wolves 2-0 Burnley. The final whislte goes and Wolves succesfully see out a confident victory over a Burnley side who were much improved after the break. Milijas and Doyle provided the goals to take Wolves out of the bottom three.
93mins
Elokobi comes on for Kevin Doyle who receives a standing ovation from the Molineux faithful.
90mins
Four minutes of added time to be played but Wolves look to have this game won now.
88mins
Mears takes a throw-in down the line to Elliott and he volleys the cross over but Craddock gets the slightest of touches on it to divert it away from Fletcher.
87mins
Chris Iwelumo comes on in place of Matt Jarvis as Mick McCarthy looks to add some more height to his Wolves side.
84mins
Eagles collects a loose ball on the edge of the box, chests it down and breaks into the area before toe poking a shot towards the goal looking for the corner but finding the arms of Hahnemann.
81mins
Alexander has time on the left hand side to pick out a man in the box with his cross but his delivery is poor and the ball sails harmlessly out of play.
79mins
This game has probably been a little too end to end for Mick McCarthy's liking and he is on the touchline telling his players to slow the game down and close it out.
75mins
Good play down the left hand side from Jarvis fed by Ebanks-Blake but as Jarvis reached the byline there was no-one in a Wolves shirt to aim at and Jordan mops up the danger.
72mins
Joey Gudjonsson plays a raking pass to find Elliott in behind the defence. Elliott plays it low across the box and it finds a path to Fletcher at the back post but he turns it over from close range. What a chance!
71mins
Superb interplay from Ebanks-Blake and Foley. A neat one-two inside the box sends the striker through but from a tight angle he cannot beat the enormous Jensen. The resulting corner comes in and finds Doyle but his header is straight at the keeper.
68mins
Mick McCarthy opts to sure up the defence as he replaces Milijas, who has been excellent today, with Mancienne.
68mins
Stephen Caldwell is replaced by Joey Gudjonsson in another attacking change from Owen Coyle. That's all his changes made now.
66mins
Ward finds space on the left hand side and crosses brilliantly to pick out Ebanks-Blake unmarked in the middle. Ebanks-Blake rises and heads towards the corner but Jensen denies him his second goal of the campaign with a fine save.
65mins
Eagles dances his way into the Wolves box but is off balance as he strikes for goal. The shot takes a deflection and loops towards the corner but Hahnemann reacts well to make the save.
64mins
Eagles puts on the burners down the left hand side and wins a corner off Stearman. Eagles whips the ball in and finds Caldwell at the back post, he heads it down towards the corner but Foley stabs it off the line!
61mins
Mears links up with Elliott and is brought down by Berra as he ran in behind. This is a good position for Eagles to deliver from the side of the area. It's fizzed across the goal and it only needs a touch but it somehow evades everyone.
59mins
Patient build up from Burnley as they work the ball across the park but in the end Eagles' final ball is comfortably dealt with by Craddock and the frustration grows for the travelling fans.
56mins
Ebanks-Blake again looking dangerous as he latches onto a loose ball and strikes for goal from range and forces a decent save from Jensen down to his right.
54mins
Positive play down the left from Jarvis and he slides the ball into the feet of Ebanks-Blake who spins away from Duff and pulls it back from the byline but can only find Jensen.
53mins
Bikey is replaced by Nugent as Owen Coyle goes for broke.
51mins
Doyle is booked for taking his shirt off.
50mins
WOLVES 2-0 BURNLEY. Craddock plays the ball long for Doyle and he brings it down and holds off the challenge of Caldwell. DOYLE steps inside and finishes well from six yards past Jensen.
48mins
McDonald plays a superb cross field pass to Elliott who tucks it back for Mears to cross. The ball is aimed at Fletcher at the back post and he goes down under the challenge from Stearman but the referee waves away the appeals for a penalty.
47mins
David Nugent was warming up at the interval so perhaps Owen Coyle is planning on making a change. Wolves will need to either score again or keep their first home clean sheet of the season if they are going to take three points today.
46mins
The second half is underway.
45mins
Half Time: Wolves 1-0 Burnley. The first half comes to a close and Wolves go into the break with a deserved lead after Milijas' early goal. Burnley have lacked ideas going forward and will need to improve after the restart.
44mins
It's Burnley's turn to send the big men forward as Eagles looks to deliver from a set-piece. The ball in has dip and bend but it's too high for Caldwell coming in at the back post and it bounces wide of the goal.
42mins
Milijas again has the chance to deliver from a long way out on the right hand side but the ball in is a good one and it drops on the penalty spot but no-one in a Wolves shirt is under it and Jensen collects.
40mins
Steven Fletcher is receiving some treatment after he was inadvertently caught by Craddock on the calf. Fletcher looks a little uncomfortable at the moment but he should be able to run this knock off.
37mins
Great work from McDonald in the middle of the park and he plays it wide to Jordan who has come forward from full back. Jordan looks to find Fletcher with the cross but Hahnemann reads it well and is off his line quickly to intercept the cross.
35mins
Karl Henry is booked after he clattered into Alexander in a clumsy challenge.
34mins
Carlisle appears to have picked up a knock and he has to be replaced by Mike Duff. The defender is making his premier league debut and will go straight in alongside Caldwell.
32mins
Stearman is tripped by Eagles on the right hand side and Milijas will look to deliver a dangerous ball from the free-kick. He delivers it low towards the front post but it comes to nothing.
30mins
The two keepers have got enormous kicks! Jensen and Hahnemann are more than capable of launching the ball onto the edge of their opponents area. Doyle in particular is profiting as he continues to hold off Caldwell and bring the ball down.
27mins
Elliott takes on Ward down the Burnley right and wins a corner that Eagles will take - The outswinger comes into the box but Hahnemann steps off his line to catch.
24mins
Ebanks-Blake shows great pace as he beats Caldwell to a loose ball on the byline and manages to cut it back across goal but there is no-one coming onto the ball at the back post and Jensen is able to come out and collect.
23mins
Burnley keep possession in midfield with some confident passing from Bikey and Alexander but possession is conceded cheaply as Caldwell's pass intended for Eagles sails into touch.
19mins
It should have been two! Burnley all at sea at the back at Milijas lifts the ball over the defenders into the run of Doyle but as he looks to strike the bouncing ball Jensen comes out and makes a fantastic save.
18mins
Burnley break through Eagles down the left hand side and he plays the ball into McDonald supporting from midfield. McDonald drives at the defence and looks to find the corner from eighteen yards but drags it wide of the upright.
15mins
WOLVES 1-0 BURNLEY. Jarvis finds space in the box after some defensive hesitation and he shoots low towards the corner, Jensen saves but can only parry, and it falls for MILIJAS coming into the box and he makes no mistake in finishing with ease.
14mins
Both sides are playing some neat football in the midfield but have struggled to breach the defensive line. Stearman looks to get on the end of a corner from Milijas but Caldwell is there to head the ball clear.
10mins
Jarvis cuts in from the left hand side and feeds Milijas on the edge of the box, he slips it to Doyle who shoots first time and it is deflected just wide with Jensen scrambling towards the corner.
8mins
Bikey plays a good ball wide to Mears overlapping from full back and he only has Fletcher in the middle to aim at but he finds him. Fletcher heads it goalward at the back post but he struggled to get any purchase on it and its easily saved.
7mins
Fletcher steals the ball near the corner from Craddock and links up with Eagles before fizzing the ball across the box but its too close to Hahnemann who gathers the cross.
4mins
Burnley win a free-kick about thirty yards from goal and the big men trott forward to try and test the Wolves back four but Eagles opts to take the shot on but it's a tame effort and well off target.
3mins
Stephen Ward looks to lift the ball into the channel for Ebanks-Blake to run onto but Clarke Carlisle follows the runner and heads the ball into touch to break up the attack.
0mins
The match is underway.
0mins
Owen Coyle names a familiar looking line-up with Fletcher leading the line supported by Eagles and Elliott from wide. Bikey and Alexander will anchor the midfield with Carlisle and Caldwell in the centre of defence.
0mins
All eyes on Mick McCarthy's team sheet after the midweek controversy and it's no suprise to see his 'first choice' eleven back in the line-up. Ebanks-Blake partners Doyle in attack and the goalscoring centre-half Craddock partners Berra at the back.
0mins
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan, Alexander, Elliott, McDonald, Bikey, Eagles, Steven Fletcher
0mins
Wolverhampton: Hahnemann, Stearman, Craddock, Berra, Ward, Foley, Henry, Milijas, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Doyle
0mins
Hello and welcome to Molineux where Wolves take on Burnley. Mick McCarthy has earmarked this one as a crucial game for his side while Owen Coyle will hope to mastermind Burnley's first win on the road.
Match Preview
Two of the three sides promoted from the Championship last season meet at Molineux this weekend.
Wolves have won two of their last three Premier League matches, but manager Mick McCarthy was heavily criticised on Wednesday night after making 10 changes to his starting line-up for their trip to Manchester United.
The Molineux boss decided to rest all of the team that shocked Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last Saturday - bar Marcus Hahnemann in goal - and the decision didn't pay off as they suffered a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
Despite the criticism, McCarthy defended his team selection after the match, saying: "We could have got beaten whatever team I put out and I might have lost somebody with a hamstring or calf strain because they were all struggling after beating Spurs.
"I need to protect them. If you have another match of that magnitude, you can't cope. We have big games coming."
With their key players being rested in their midweek defeat, Wolves have no fresh injury concerns but will still be missing their skilful winger Michael Kightly with an ankle injury that will keep him out of action until the new year.
Burnley also expect to have no new injury concerns coming in to the game and should be full of confidence following a great 1-1 home draw with Arsenal on Wednesday night.
The Clarets will be hoping to end a six-match run without a win in the top-flight, but will take encouragement from that fact that they have only suffered two defeats in seven Premier League games.
Owen Coyle will be wary that his side have the worst away record in the Premier League this season after collecting only one point on their travels.
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Match Report
Nenad Milijas and Kevin Doyle combined to ensure that Mick McCarthy's Old Trafford gamble paid off as Wolves moved out of the relegation zone with a priceless success against travel-sick Burnley.
McCarthy had been under fire after changing all ten of his outfield players for last Tuesday's trip to Manchester United to ensure his big-hitters were fit and fresh to tackle the Clarets.
Fortunately for McCarthy it worked as Milijas' 15th minute strike and a classy 50th minute goal from Doyle lifted Wolves three points clear of the drop zone.
It was Wolves' third win in four games and helped to ensure that Burnley's dismal away form continued.
Burnley have now collected just one point from a possible 27 on the road, but still remain clear of trouble thanks to their fantastic form at Turf Moor.
They knew it was not going to be their day when Steven Caldwell's 63rd minute goalbound header was cleared off the line by Kevin Foley.
After their midweek break, Wolves made the fast start that McCarthy had demanded and were rewarded when Milijas struck - thanks to the persistence of Doyle.
The Irish striker looked to be chasing a lost cause when he raced to close down Clarke Carlisle on the left wing.
But he managed to dispossess the former Blackpool central defender and rolled a pass into the path of Matt Jarvis.
Jarvis saw his shot palmed out by goalkeeper Brian Jensen, but the loose ball flew straight to the onrushing Milijas who drilled home a low shot from eight yards for his second goal in successive home games.
Burnley's response could have been swift when Steven Fletcher and Chris Eagles combined to tee up Kevin McDonald in the 18th minute, only for the Scotsman to scuff his shot wide. It proved an expensive miss.
Wolves should have punished Burnley immediately as just a minute later Doyle beat the offside trap to latch on to Milijas pass.
Doyle only had Jensen to beat but saw the Dane beat away his close-range drive.
But Doyle proved to be more clinical at the start of the second half when he effectively made the game safe five minutes after the interval.
He collected a long clearance from Craddock and bustled his way past Caldwell before beating Michael Duff to fire a low shot past Jensen.
Jensen then prevented Wolves racing to a more comprehensive victory with a superb save to palm away a header from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Team
Burnley Team
Wolverhampton Wanderers | Burnley |
Corners
| 5 | 5 |
Fouls
| 18 | 8 |
Goal attempts
| 10 | 11 |
Shots off target
| 1 | 6 |
Offsides
| 1 | 1 |



92mins
David Nugent fouls Craddock and then his frustration shows as he petulantly pushes the defender.