The Bruno Lage era at Wolves got well and truly underway on Saturday afternoon as the head coach got his first Premier League win on the road at Watford, as new signing Hee Chan Hwang netted on his debut.
After an evenly-fought opening 70 minutes, Wolves finally broke the deadlock on their season with 74 minutes on the clock, as Francisco Sierralta put past his own goalkeeper from inside the penalty area, before Hwang put the result beyond doubt less than 10 minutes later as he struck from close range, to make it a memorable debut for the South Korean international.
Searching for their first goal of the 2021/22 Premier League season, Wolves started brightly at Vicarage Road, and following positive play from Raul Jimenez, Francisco Trincao and Adama Traore, the first real effort fell the way of Marcal, but the wing-back saw his effort blocked.
Traore was causing a headache for the Watford defenders all afternoon, and he took several men in yellow and black shirts out of the equation when he made a mazy run before laying the ball into the path of Ruben Neves, who had his shot blocked behind for a corner. Moments later, Neves tried his luck from distance again, but his curled effort was well wide of the post.
The hosts grew into the game throughout the first-half, and tested Jose Sa on plenty of occasions. Firstly, the Portuguese had to show strong palms to deny Moussa Sissoko after the Watford man he found himself closing in on goal. The Wolves goalkeeper then comfortably saved from Josh King who was unable to get power into his shot.
As the half went on, there were chances at either end, with Sa denying King once again from a tight angle, before Traore caught Watford on a counter-attack, and after cutting the ball back to Semedo, his shot was blocked.
Wolves were lucky not to find themselves behind with five minutes of the half remaining, as the impressive Ismaila Sarr placed a teasing ball across the six-yard box, but King was unable to get his outstretched boot to it.
The visitors had two good opportunities to open the scoring late on, but Joao Moutinho’s free-kick from a good position was put into the stands, and then Semedo was played through by Trincao after another jinking run from the forward, but Watford keeper Daniel Bachman was quick off his line to palm away the danger.
Half-time | Watford 0-0 Wolves
Wolves continued to put the pressure on Watford in the second period and had another glaring opportunity to open the scoring went Semedo’s way with the wing-back played through by Jimenez who cleverly flicked Maximilian Kilman’s pass into his path, and with the goal at his mercy, Semedo was unable to get his shot on target.
The visitors were the stronger side throughout the second-half, but still couldn’t find an opening, as Moutinho’s free-kick is whipped into the area and Jimenez got his head to the ball, but it flew wide of the post.
But the breakthrough finally arrived for Lage’s side, as a corner by Moutinho finds its way to Marcal, who puts in a dangerous cross into the six-yard box which was put into his own goal by Sierralta.
The goal seemed to kick Watford back into life, but the Hornets were unable to land the stinging blow, and Wolves doubled their advantage with fewer than 10 minutes remaining. Semedo played into substitute Daniel Podence, who left his marker for dead and crosses to the far post, but Marcal was thwarted, only for Hwang to slam the ball into the net from a matter of yards.
Wolves pushed strong at the end of the match, but Lage’s men had already done enough to secure their first victory of the Premier League campaign.
Full-time | Watford 0-2 Wolves
Watford | Bachman, Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Sierralta, Rose, Kucka, Etebo (Sema 77), Sissoko, Sarr, King (Hernandez 53), Dennis.
Unused subs | Elliot, Louza, Cleverley, Masina, Cathcart, Tufan, Kabasele.
Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Marcal, Neves, Moutinho, Trincao (Hwang 63), Traore (Podence 81), Jimenez.
Unused subs | Ruddy, Hoever, Mosquera, Boly, Ait-Nouri, Dendoncker, Silva.
Referee | Peter Bankes
