Wolves were lucky - McCarthy

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy admitted his side did not deserve to beat Southend in the Carling Cup second round on Tuesday night. Richard Stearman's goal in the last minute of extra-time earned them a 2-1 success and a place in round three of the competition.Southend, who went into the tie at Molineux lying third-bottom of League Two, put in a battling performance and having fallen behind to Nenad Milijas' first-half penalty, deservedly equalised through Craig Easton in the 80th minute.They held on for virtually the entire duration of extra-time and penalties looked to be on the cards, but Stearman had the final say at the death when he bundled Ronald Zubar's cross over the line, and McCarthy acknowledged the Premier League outfit had got lucky."We had to work hard for it, we didn't deserve it and it was certainly a cruel way for them to lose the game," McCarthy said."But I'm not bothered. Not about the result and the way that it happens, because there has been many a time where we have got punished like that."But I thought they were excellent and made us work very hard. It proves that players who are not playing regularly at competitive level need games."We have got away with that one, but they will all be better for it."McCarthy made 10 adjustments to the Wolves side that drew 1-1 at Everton on Saturday, with teenagers Sam Winnall and Danny Batth handed their senior debuts for the Black Country club and Ashley Hemmings given his first start.Southend proved to be more than a match for the team for most of the contest, but asked if he regretted his selection, McCarthy said: "No, because there were eight Premier League players on there that started the game."We should have done better, but I am not regretting it because I made the decision, and I think in the end, it is a Premier League player who wins it for us."Zubar is still going and shows his bit of class and his power and pace and wins the game."I was thinking how we were going to beat them on penalties at that stage of the game, because I wasn't expecting to win it (before the end of extra-time)."Southend boss Paul Sturrock, who was faced with a transfer embargo when he arrived at the club this summer but has since brought in a host of new players, was delighted with the team's performance."This is a huge challenge, but I like this kind of challenge and this is why I came here to work," Sturrock said."I like the idea of moulding squads and teams and seeing the team grow."We have got to start winning football games, but there is a nucleus, which is a building block for this squad."That team didn't look like a second division side and that is the pleasing thing."Meanwhile, McCarthy has confirmed that Wanderers striker Andy Keogh, who was not in the squad for the game, is set to join Cardiff on a season-long loan.

Source: Team_Talk