Cardiff City 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
On the eve of his 70th birthday, Neil Warnock could not have scripted it any better as Cardiff City demonstrated their powers of recovery to come from behind to win at home for the third time this season, courtesy of a wonderful goal from Junior Hoilett. Love him or loathe him, it is impossible not to admire Warnock’s longevity and this was a victory for the Yorkshireman to cherish.
Trailing to Matt Doherty’s first-half goal, Cardiff showed spirit and character in abundance to haul themselves back into the game through Aron Gunnarsson. That gave Warnock’s players the platform to go on and win the game and Hoilett relished the chance to take centre stage, curling in a magnificent right-footed shot that arced into the top corner. Remarkably it was the Canadian’s first Premier League goal for six years.
Victory lifts Cardiff to 15th and piles the misery on Wolves, who have now picked up only one point from a possible 18 and badly lost their way after such a promising start to the season. With Chelsea to come on Wednesday, life is not about to get any easier for Nuno Espírito Santo and his players.
With April’s tumultuous meeting still fresh in the mind, all eyes were on Warnock and Nuno from the outset. This time, though, there were warm handshakes and smiles all round as the two managers embraced one another prior to kick-off like long lost friends, sharing a joke and giving the impression that there was no lingering animosity.
Nuno, however, would have been far happier with what he saw on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes. Wolves were ahead courtesy of Doherty’s goal and for much of the first half frustrated Cardiff, whose supporters were starting to get a little impatient until some pressure just prior to the interval almost yielded an equaliser.
Harry Arter was desperately unlucky not to bring parity with a terrific left-footed shot from 16 yards that thudded against the far upright. Six minutes later the ball dropped invitingly for Victor Camarasa after Willie Boly, under pressure from Callum Paterson, was unable to get any distance on his header. The Spaniard’s eyes lit up but he snatched at the chance and totally missed his kick.
Doherty was nothing like as forgiving in the Cardiff area and it will pain Warnock that his players were badly caught out by a set piece. Raúl Jiménez met João Moutinho’s corner with a fine twisting header that Neil Etheridge superbly repelled low to his right with one hand but Cardiff were slow to react to the loose ball, in particular Aron Gunnarsson, who was caught on his heels as Doherty converted emphatically with his left foot from about six yards.
Wolves could have doubled their lead shortly afterwards followed a breakaway from a Cardiff corner but Adama Traoré, making a rare Wolves start, wasted a golden opportunity. It was three against one for a moment in Wolves’ favour but Traoré seemed to have no idea that Bruno Ecuele Manga was ahead of him and his heavy touch saw the counterattack break down, leaving Nuno exasperated.
Traoré’s pace remained a valuable outlet for Wolves and spread anxiety among the Cardiff defence whenever he received the ball, yet it was a state of panic at the other end that led to the next goal. Arter’s well-struck volley was deflected wide by Conor Coady and Cardiff equalised from the corner that followed after Rui Patrício was caught in no man’s land.
Patrício seemed to misjudge an old-fashioned up and under from Arter, which Sean Morrison flicked on as the Wolves goalkeeper back-pedalled. Gunnarsson, in the right place at the right time, took the ball on his chest and acrobatically hooked home from four yards out with Patrício stranded.
Cardiff were not finished there, however, and it was a moment of brilliance from Hoilett that allowed Warnock to celebrate his milestone in style. – Guardian service
