10/03 Wolves 2nd Half

By: Tony Butcher
Date: 11/03/2001

Neither side made any changes at half time. And then the game becomes a bit of a blur. A blur of bore, soporific in a fatalistic way. Wolves had more efforts on goal. In the 15 minutes after half time they had 3 or 4 long range shots, 2 went way over, 2 went way wide.

Grimsby Town 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
10 Mar 2001, Nationwide League Division 1

Poor efforts, but a signal that Wolves had started to get interested in trying. The first half had been like an end of season kick-about by two mid-table teams. Clare hurt his leg when he collided with the Wolves 'keeper challenging for a long, high, bouncing ball. The goalie had dropped it, but unfortunately only Clare was near, and he crumpled. And the only other remotely memorable thing that happened in the first 10 minutes of the half was when Clare dribbled past three Wolves players on the centre right, and fell over when he got into the box. Yeah, reduced to that - Clare falling over is a highlight. Around the hour mark Town started to disintegrate. Coyne's kicking (which had been pretty ropey all through) put Town in danger when he fluffed a clearance straight to a Wolves player then dreadfully sliced the ball again when he got it back 5 seconds later. You could actually see the Wolves player increase the pace of their game and grow in confidence. McDermott gave away a corner when he slightly miss-headed a long high whack back towards Coyne. The corner, from the Town right, was hit towards the centre and headed back down the centre. It went through a big gap in the middle towards an amber shirt. Coyne fell on the ball as a Wolves player swung his boot. And the next five minutes were shocking. Huffing, puffing barging, miss-kicks, fouls, and an inability to string more than two hoofs together. After 20 minutes Wolves won a free kick when Groves challenged Proudlock, about 20 yards out, near the right hand corner of the penalty box. Everyone around me moaned that Proudlock had dived after losing control of the ball (and dived badly and late). I have no view on this as, quite literally, I had no view. A great big red iron pillar was in my way and (like Arsene Wenger) I didn't see ze incident. After an interminable wait the ball was tapped sideways and a Wolves player (later identified as DINNING) whacked a low shot off a Town player's bottom and past Coyne. Coyne went right as the ball spun off left. About 4,000 Grimbarians sunk lower into their seats and started to consider who is in the Second Division.

Grimsby Town Coyne McDermott Handyside Groves Gallimore Butterfield Willems Burnett Campbell Donovan Clare   Subs Pouton 72 mins Allen 72 mins Enhua 83 mins Black Croudson   Attendance 4,899   Referee Mike Dean (Wirral)   League Table Ps Team P GD Pts 13 Barnsley 37 -6 44 14 Wolves 34 +1 43 15 Pompey 36 -5 42 16 Gills 36 -4 41 17 Crewe 35 -13 39 18 Sheff W 37 -23 39 19 Palace 36 -8 37 20 Grimsby 35 -19 35 21 Stock't 37 -16 34 22 QPR 36 -24 33 23 Hudds 35 -11 32 24 Tranm' 33 -20 31 Full table

Town's response was perhaps their best move of the game. For once Donovan attacked the Wolves back-line, released Clare, who tapped the ball on for Butterfield whose low cross to the near post was toe poked by Donovan straight at Oakes, from 7 yards. Then Wolves ran off down the Town left and Roussel, from 10 yards out and totally unmarked, majestically swept a low cross on to the roof.

I looked to my right and watched several spectators reading the programme, some taking a special interest in the advert for new Volkswagens. And this was as the game was ebbing and flowing. There had been a general disinterest, with a lot of background chat, like the game was a juke box in the Pontoon pub.

After about 71/72 minutes Allen and Pouton came on for Butterfield and Willems. This was quite harsh on Willems as he was the only player making consistent "box to box" runs and was seeking to release players into space. The problem was that there was hardly ever anyone willing to get into those spaces. Especially wide. Both Campbell and Butterfield tucked in far too much. It was like playing with 4 central midfielders. The substitutions were immediately after Willems had passed straight out of play when on the edge of the penalty area. That was Clare's fault as Clare had simply not bothered to make a fairly obvious straight run between two defenders. Willems had the vision, Clare didn't. The changes resulted in Town going to 4-3-3.

Pouton brought some directness to the Town attack, and even showed a couple of "step-overs". His best moment was a psychopathic sliding tackle that sent the Wolves left back 3 foot into the air. The ball was passed back to him, near the Police Box, and his swirling cross to the near post was controlled by Donovan, who swiveled and had a shot deflected over the bar for a corner. The corner, from Town's right, was headed firmly by Groves from near the penalty spot, down towards the centre of the goal. Clare, who was standing between ball and 'keeper, tried to let the ball go between his legs and flick it into the left hand side of the goal. He missed it and the ball went straight into the 'keepers hands.

As the game crawled into the last 10 minutes Town started to throw the ball forward to the huge front three and try and pick up the pieces. It was messy, desperate and was not thrilling the crowd. There was hardly any urging on as the supporters have no belief in the team, manager or board anymore. It doesn't manifest itself in barracking individuals though. Anyway Wolves got another goal they barely deserved with 7 or 8 minutes left. The ball was cleared from the Wolves up to the half way line. The ball bounced oddly and the Town defence backed off, principally Handyside, who allowed Proudlock to turn and control the ball. PROUDLOCK (left) ran forward 15 yards and smashed a dipping shot over Coyne from 25 yards. Into the top centre left of the goal. Up to that point Handyside had been immaculate. His one mistake led to the second goal. Hardly a "killer" goal as Town were never going to score.

The second goal was the cue for 75% of the Town support to leave. Again no barracking or heckling. Enhua replaced Clare in a straight swap. Enhua as centre forward and he performed to Leveresque effect. He missed the ball in two goalmouth scrambles and missed a couple of headers

Can't remember any other chances, though I do remember Coyne made a save at one point. The only barely interesting moments in the second half were when Proudlock tripped himself up and then ran after the referee complaining about the awful, cynical foul he'd been the victim of. And then there was the time when Donovan surged past two Wolves defender near the right edge of the penalty area and managed to fall over his own legs AND Clare at the same time.

This game is barely worth describing and the individual performances aren't worth analysing. Read any report over the last year and pick out the negatives. Weaknesses to the fore today, individually and structurally. Wrong players, playing in the wrong positions and the wrong "tactics" and "style". Defensively Town were quite solid, even Gallimore, who was up against one of the worst player he'll see for many seasons (Branch, who kept falling over or slicing crosses into the stands). The attack? Oh dear.

Have a lie down and a long sleep. You deserve it if you were there, or if you've bothered to read this. Private Fraser was hanging around the back of the Pontoon - "We're Doomed I tell you." No one could disagree.

Nicko's Man of the Match - McDermott. Flawless. Sinton was invisible as a result of McDermott's mastery

Report from the Wolves angle

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