Premier League round-up: Republic of Ireland international Kevin Doyle, linked with a move away from Wolves before the transfer window closed earlier this week, proved his worth to the Molineux club as he came off the bench to secure all three points in today's 2-1 win over QPR at Loftus Road.
Wolves had trailed before Doyle’s introduction at the interval and the Wexford man international made an immediate impact as his right-wing cross was not cleared by the QPR defence and fell to Matt Jarvis, who cut inside Luke Young and curled home past Paddy Kenny.
Kenny had to be alert to stop a 20-yard Doyle effort in the 53rd minute as Wolves looked to take the lead but the striker was not to be denied 15 minutes later Jamie O’Hara played the ball through to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who laid off for the substitute to slot home from close range.
It had looked like QPR boss Mark Hughes would be going home with the three points after debutant Bobby Zamora fired QPR into a deserved lead just days after his move from west London rivals Fulham. Wolves were given a way back into the game, though, when fellow striker Djibril Cisse was shown a straight red card for an altercation with Roger Johnson in the 34th minute.
The sending off changed the match and goals from Jarvis and Doyle helped Wolves to just their third victory since August.
Elsewhere, James McCleancontinued to press his claim for a place in Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland squad as the Derryman scored the winner for Sunderland against at a decidedly wintry Britannia Stadium.
In a contest during which snow fell throughout, a first half of few goalscoring opportunities finished with Potters defender Robert Huth getting sent off in the 45th minute — shown a straight red card following a tackle on David Meyler.
McClean then netted in the 60th minute, bursting through the hosts’ defence and tucking the ball away to seal a victory which means the Black Cats have now taken 22 points from the 30 on offer in the Barclays Premier League since manager Martin O’Neill took charge of the Wearsiders.
O’Neill’s side, who had been hovering just above the relegation zone when he was appointed in December, remain eighth in the table while Stoke have slipped to 12th.
And former Irish under-21 international Anthony Pilkington,who also harbours ambitions of making it onto the plane for Euro 2012, was on the scoresheet as Norwich ended a nervy afternoon with a 2-0 win over strugglers Bolton at Carrow Road. The Canaries dominated the first half and should have been well ahead by half-time, but their profligacy, and the Bolton woodwork, left them frustrated.
The game looked set to peter out into a dull goalless draw until Andrew Surman volleyed home in the 70th minute and Pilkington wrapped up the win just before the end with an instinctive finish after Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan had parried Russell Martin’s drive.
Swansea’s on-loan midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson played a major role in Brendan Rogers’ side coming from behind to register only their second away win of the season at West Brom. The Iceland international, who joined from Hoffenheim last month until the end of the season, cancelled out Marc-Antoine Fortune’s opener and laid on the winner for Danny Graham.
Wigan benefited from one of the more bizarre goals the league will see this season but had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Everton at the DW Stadium. It had been a thoroughly forgettable affair until the 76th minute when Phil Neville blocked a Jean Beausejour cross and the ball somehow found its way past Tim Howard for a hugely embarrassing own goal.
But the hosts’ lead lasted only seven minutes, substitute Victor Anichebe heading in the equaliser to ensure Everton followed up their win over Manchester City on Tuesday with a point on the road.
