Monday 26th May 2003 is a day which will forever live in the memories of anyone associated with the gold and black.
It’s been 20 years since Wolves secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time, as a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United not only ended a 19-year exile from the top-flight but gave the city of Wolverhampton a feel-good factor not seen at Molineux for a long time.
After the club had failed three times to get past the Division One play-off semi-final stage, it fell to manager Dave Jones to guide Wolves back to the promised land.
There were many moments to savour at Cardiff that afternoon two decades ago, not least the three first-half goals, from Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller, that had the fans dreaming of achieving their golden aim that been so close – yet so far in previous seasons. Then there was Matt Murray’s second-half penalty save when a goal might have given the Blades some hope.
But when the full-time whistle blew, it was ecstasy at the Millennium Stadium. The beaming smile and thumbs up of Sir Jack Hayward showed how much of a special day it was for the much-loved owner who had devoted so much time – and money – to the cause of bringing pride back to Molineux.
WOLVES’ ROAD TO THE FINAL
Unlike the previous season which had seen Wolves in the driving seat for much of their Division One campaign before agonisingly throwing automatic promotion away as it came to the closing stages, Dave Jones’ side gained momentum in a positive second half of the 2002/03 season and went into the play-offs on a high.
After heavy spending in the summer of 2001, Jones recruited just four players all on free transfers ahead of the following season, with two of those being the high-profile deals of former Manchester United duo Paul Ince and Denis Irwin.
Despite starting unbeaten with three wins and a draw from the opening four matches which saw Wolves top the Division One standings, their form soon dipped, which saw the side sat 10th heading into the festive period.
The FA Cup provided a welcome distraction to the team, as the players stepped up to produce their best performance of the season to knock high-flying Premier League outfit Newcastle United out of the competition during a memorable night under the Molineux lights which was broadcast live on TV.
Their FA Cup form was replicated in the league, as Wolves soon started to put a run of results together – losing just twice following the turn of the year, as they headed into the play-offs on a nine-game unbeaten run.
Finishing fifth, Wolves faced Reading in the semi-finals. After going behind in the first-half, Jones’ men turned the game in their favour to take a 2-1 lead to the Madejski Stadium for the second leg after a stunning free-kick late on from Lee Naylor.
With the second leg goalless heading into the final 10 minutes, Reading were pushing bodies forward in search of an equalising goal which would have taken the game to extra time, but instead, Alex Rae produced a moment of brilliance to fire in a winning strike for the visitors to secure their place against Sheffield United in the final.
Play-off semi-final first leg | Wolves 2 (Murty OG 75, Naylor 84) Reading 1 (Forster 25)
Play-off semi-final second leg | Reading 0 Wolves 1 (Rae 81)
CLASSIC MATCH REPORT
Sheffield United 0 Wolves 3 (Kennedy 6, Blake 22, Miller 45)
Given the immense stakes involved, it would have been reasonable for the match the be a cagey affair and the teams to have begun the contest with a more cautious approach, but it quickly became apparent from the opening exchanges that both teams were fiercely intent on unleashing an onslaught of goals.
But it was Wolves who roared into action right from the outset, propelled by the scintillating strike of Mark Kennedy from the edge of the area.
Nathan Blake expertly directed a header into Kenny Miller’s path, who promptly fed the ball to the left flank where Kennedy eagerly awaited, before hitting a first-time left-footed effort from 20 yards out into the bottom corner of the net.
The Blades tried to utmost to get back on level terms, but it was United’s own defensive frailties that proved to be their undoing. In a lapse of concentration, Ince was permitted to flick on Kennedy's corner, which found Blake inside the six-yard box.
An ever-present threat in the air throughout his time on the pitch, the Welshman proceeded to firmly head home a second goal, further enhancing Wolves' dominance.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Miller – who was in scintillating form throughout the first-half – elegantly sealed a third for the gold and black on the stoke of half-time, culminating a sweeping three-man move with a clinical finish.
Half-time: Sheffield United 0 Wolves 3
Sheffield United, dishearteningly, found themselves unable to match the intensity and prowess of their opponents in the first-half, and the inspired presence of Wolves' goalkeeper Matt Murray thwarted their efforts after the break.
The Wolves Academy graduate he heroically denied Michael Brown from the penalty spot mere moments into the second-half, while the Blades’ cause was further blunted by the dismissal of their manager, Neil Warnock, who was sent to the stands for voicing his dissent to referee Steve Bennett during the interval.
With a three-goal lead, the men from the midlands found themselves having to rely on moments of fortune while navigating the challenges presented by a Blade side who had reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup during an impressive season.
But the experienced heads of Paul Ince and Denis Irwin guided their youthful teammates through the closing stages with outstanding and much-needed direction and organisation.
When the full-time whistle went, it was undeniable that Wolves fully deserved their hard-fought victory. After producing an excellent display at both ends of the pitch, their efforts were finally rewarded, as the dark cloud that had loomed over Molineux for nearly two decades finally gave way to a glorious silver lining.
Full-time: Sheffield United 0 Wolves 3
Sheff United: Kenny, Curtis, Page, Jagielka, Kozluk, Ndlovu (Peschisolido 64), Brown, Rankine (McCall 46), Tonge, Asaba, Kabba (Allison 74).
Unused subs: Kelly, Montgomery.
Wolves: Murray, Irwin, Butler, Lescott, Naylor, Newton, Cameron, Ince, Kennedy, Miller (Sturridge 75), Blake (Proudlock 88).
Unused subs: Oakes, Edworthy, Rae.
Referee: Steve Bennett
Attendance: 69,473
