Wolves twice led at Manchester United on Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Harvey Griffiths and Jack Hodnett, but on each occasion were pegged back by the hosts, who then found a winner one minute from time.
The two halves were polar opposites – after a quiet first 45, the game exploded into life after the break when Griffiths curled home from the edge of the box. Wolves then gifted United an equaliser but retook the lead thanks to Hodnett’s expertly taken free-kick, but back came the hosts who capitalised on a defensive mistake to level, before claiming the points late in the day.
The first-half, in particular the opening stages, weren’t blessed with a wealth of opportunities, but the one time Wolves did create an opportunity, Radek Vitek was called into action, as Tyler Roberts used his trickery on the right to fashion an opening for Nathan Fraser, who headed straight at the goalkeeper.
In Roberts and Lee Harkin on the other flank, Wolves were always a threat and when Dexter Lembikisa headed into the path of Harkin, he cut inside on his right foot and tried his luck, but the strike was too central and caught by Vitek, despite the goalkeeper moving in the opposite direction.
While United failed to test Jamie Storer during the opening period, their goalkeeper Vitek did watch on with a slight element of fear when Fraser wrestled possession back for his team and Griffiths flashed an effort wide from the edge of the box, as the two sides went in level.
Half-time | Man United 0-0 Wolves
While Wolves finished the first-half better than their hosts, it was United who started the second better, and Norwegian Isak Hansen-Aaroen lashed an effort wide soon after the break.
However, on 55 minutes, when Griffiths picked the pocket of his man in the midfield, he started a move which he’d also eventually finish. Fraser and Roberts took Wolves into the United box, and Ollie Tipton eventually set up Griffiths to guide a strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Harvey Griffiths wins the ball in midfield and gets forward to finish off the move! Get in!#PL2 pic.twitter.com/7AIVGbDoOq
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) October 22, 2022
While that fine move will have pleased Ian Sharps, he’ll have been less impressed by the way United found their equaliser. A routine back pass by Alfie Pond found Storer, who dwelled on the ball and was robbed by Hugill, whose interception rolled into the unguarded net for an avoidable United equaliser.
The frantic nature of the second-half continued, and in Wolves’ favour, as Hodnett made amends for his team mate’s mistake by curling a fine free-kick over the United wall and beyond Vitek with his trusty left foot to restore the old gold lead.
An unstoppable free-kick from Jack Hodnett!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5UpPfxrYEK
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) October 22, 2022
That advantage lasted just a matter of minutes, however, as Wolves again conspired to let United back in the game. This time Kam Kandola’s heavy touch invited Shola Shoretire to run clean though and he slotted it beyond Storer to restore parity.
With the rate of goals being fired in, it was little surprise one side would find a winner as the second-half edged towards injury time, and it was the hosts who found it, as Marc Jurado fired home a loose ball on the edge of the box to undone Wolves’ fine work.
Full-time | Man United 3 Wolves 2
COMING UP
Next up for the under-21s is a home clash with Leicester City a week on Monday, with the Foxes travelling to Aggborough.
NEXT FIVE
31/10 Leicester (H)
07/11 West Ham (A)
14/11 Sunderland (H)
19/11 Porto (H) IC
22/11 Rugby Town (A) BSC
TEAMS
Man United | Vitek, Jurado, Murray, Mengi (Fredricson 59), Bennett, Collyer (Huddlestone 66), Hansen-Aaroen, Savage (Mather 65), McNeil (Hugill 59), Mainoo, Shoretire.
Unused subs | Mastny.
Wolves | Storer, Birtwistle, Pond (Farmer 89), Kandola, Lembikisa, Tipton, Griffiths, Roberts, Hodnett (Ojinnaka 77), Harkin, Fraser.
Unused subs | Matheson, Keto-Diyawa, Mabete.
