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Wolves Preview

By: Richard Hubbert
Date: 24/10/2002

TOWN can go into Saturday’s clash with Wolves in a confident mood after surviving 40 minutes with 9 men against one of the divisions "better" sides and of course winning 1-0 at Molineux last season.

Home > 2002-2003 Season > Previews > Wolves (a)


The Bottom Line

Wolves want to kick start their season. The Mariners are desperate for points to stay clear of the drop. Any outsider would predict a Wolves win, but the Town fans know that if the Mariners can show the battling spirit they showed with nine men against Rotherham, we might just nick a point or even three. The bottom line, however, is surely a good, spirited, solid performance to take us into Tuesday’s game versus Burnley where most supporters will be hoping for a point.

Recent Form

 

TownWolves
DRotherham(h)0-3
LWatford(a)1-2
WIpswich(h)3-0
LReading(h)0-3
WBrighton(a)2-1
WStoke(a)2-0
LSheff Utd(h)1-3
DRotherham(a)4-4 (2-4 pens)
LLeicester(a)0-1
WPreston(h)4-0

Players To Watch

 

TownWolves

Steve Kabba

Nathan Blake

Steve Kabba will surely pose the biggest questions to the Wolves defence at Molineux. His harrying of opposition players, his commitment and pace up front have been an asset for Town in the last month or so, and just recently have started to bear fruit. His loan spell from Crystal Palace ends in November and unsurprisingly Paul Groves is desperate to keep him at Blundell Park. Town want to keep him and Palace say we can have him, but the question is whether he wants to stay himself. Earlier this week he declared that he was in "no rush" to sign for the season. Nevertheless, he will be a threat to the Wolves backline on Saturday afternoon.

The 31 year old striker brings a wealth of experience and tenacity to the Wolverhampton frontline. Formerly of Chelsea, Cardiff, Sheffield United and Bolton Blake has been capped more than 20 times by Wales and has an excellent scoring record in this division and bagged 11 goals last season and has scored seven already this term. His parnership with Dean Sturridge last season turned out to be one of the most lethal and therefore, even without Sturridge, Blake will make the Town defence earn their money.

Top Scorers

 

TownWolves

Kabba 3
Pouton 3
Barnard 2

Blake 6
Cameron 3
Sturridge 3
Three others on 2 goals

Team News

 

TownWolves

  • Town have no fresh injury worries from last week. The same eleven who started against Rotherham are expected to play with red card victims Santos and Raven not suspended until next week.

  • Paul Groves and John McDermott are nearing full fitness but neither will start. Groves is likely to save himself until he is needed - when Raven is suspended. However, the player/boss could make the bench.
  • Michael Oakes returned to the reserves the other evening after missing the last six games but will not get his place straight back due to the fine form of Matthew Murphy in goal, so will start on the bench.

  • Michael Kennedy, Mo Camara and Keith Andrew are edging closer into contention but are not fit enough to be considered after lengthy injuries to them all.

  • There were fears over the fitness of Dennis Irwin who had a shin injury, but he will be fit enough to take his place at full back.

  • 19 year old Mark Clyde is expected to keep out skipper Paul Butler after a fine display last Saturday away at Stoke City. Butler has been under pressure after some poor performances and was forced to sit out last week’s encounter after a one match ban.
  • Probable Starting XI's

     

    TownWolves
    Danny Coyne
    Iain Ward
    Simon Ford
    Paul Raven
    Tony Gallimore
    Darren Barnard
    Stuart Campbell
    Alan Pouton
    George Santos
    Steve Livingstone
    Steve Kabba
    Matthew Murphy
    Mark Clyde
    Joleon Lescott
    Marc Edworthy
    Dennis Irwin
    Shaun Newton
    Paul Ince
    Alex Rae
    Colin Cameron
    Nathan Blake
    Kenny Miller

    Subs

     

    TownWolves
    Paul Groves
    Terry Cooke
    Stacy Coldicott
    Paul Robinson
    Sean Allaway (GK)
    Dean Sturridge
    George Ndah
    Ivar Igimarsson
    Lee Naylor
    Michael Oakes (GK)

    Last Time Out

    It doesn’t seem five minutes since that wonderful March day when the Mariner went to Wolves, got three points and dashed Wolves’ promotion chances. Of course it only seemed a "hiccup" to Wolves then, but it became the catalyst to their downfall that saw them dramatically loose out on automatic promotion to their rivals WBA. Andy Todd got the winner in the second half for the Mariners, in a fiery affair that saw Kevin Muscatt dismissed for not one, but two elbows on Michael Boulding.

    Town Team: Coyne, McDermott, Gallimore, Todd, Groves, Pouton, Coldicott, Butterfield, Campbell, Allen, Boulding.
    Subs: Burnett, Ford, Jevons, Rowan, Croudson. Attendance: 25,967    Report

    Wolves Head-to-Head (72nd on The Opposition Ladder).

    Prediction

    Fishy prediction: 1-1 draw Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Molineux (left).

    Admission Prices

    Click on the link for ticket prices to Molineux.




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