Wolves 2 (Goncalves 63, Seedorf 87)
West Bromwich Albion 0
Wolves Under-23s were well worth their victory over local rivals West Bromwich Albion in a one-sided affair at Molineux although it was an hour before the Baggies defence was finally breached.
Connor Johnson almost made an early breakthrough as he ran in on Dan Armstrong’s corner and prodded the ball towards goal. But his effort was too close to Albion keeper Alex Palmer who saved.
Then Armstrong was just wide of the far post with an angled shot after a good through ball from Pedro Goncalves.
In the 14th minute Armstrong figured again after the ball had broken to him in the visitors box. He controlled it and took aim but Palmer managed to palm it onto the roof of the net.
It was all Wolves and Will Randall almost did the trick when he beat his marker and took the ball to the by-line before drilling a low cross that flew through the Baggies’ six-yard box just needing a touch that didn’t come.
Albion central defender Kyle Jameson almost put through his own goal in clearing a cross from Anthony Breslin - the ball was literally inches wide of the post as it went behind.
Randall then played Donovan Wilson in but the striker’s goal attempt was blocked by a defender.
Although Wolves enjoyed the bulk of the attacking play for the remainder of the half, neither keeper was unduly worried.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Albion 0
Good work by Aaron Collins allowed him the space to get in a cross which was cleared for a corner by Aram Soleman. Then Armstrong worked a shooting position for himself but he was well off the mark.
On the hour mark, however, Armstrong forced a tremendous save from Palmer with a 25-yard free-kick that looked destined for the net until the keeper athletically turned the ball away.
Palmer made an even better stop, this time from Danish defender Oskar Buur who was making his debut but the keeper stood no chance as Wanderers moved into a 63rd minute lead.
There seemed little danger as Goncalves picked the ball up but, from fully 30-yards out, he suddenly let fly with an incredible shot that simply flew into the net.
In the minutes that followed West Bromwich made two changes and Wolves three – Sherwin Seedorf for Collins, Ross Finnie for Buur and Andrew Sealey-Harris for Armstrong.
Albion’s first worthwhile goal attempt came in the 85th minute with Nick Phillips turning Kyle Edwards’ cross over the bar from close quarters.
Two minutes later, two of the home substitutes combined for Wanderers’ second goal with Seedorf getting in front of his marker to convert Sealey-Harris’s low cross.
Wolves: Burgoyne, Buur (Finnie 72), Breslin, Goncalves, Johnson (capt), Leak, Armstrong (Sealey-Harris 84), Rainey, Collins (Seedorf 69), Wilson, Randall.
Unused subs: John, Heredia.
Baggies: Palmer, Soleman, Melbourne, Ferguson, Jameson, McCourt, Bradley, Edge, Pierce (Phillips 64), Tulloch (Azaz 75), Edwards.
Unused subs: Chambers, House, Healy.
Referee: P. Marsden.
Attendance: 651.
