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WALSALL: Brain, Westlake, Lescott, McDonald, Smith, Jones, Richards, Deeney, Nicholls, Marshall, Taundry.  SUBS: Byfield, Lancashire, Paterson, Hickman, Bowerman, Grigg, Geddes, Stokes, Bevan.

 

WOLVES: Ikeme, Stearman, Batth, Elokobi, Malone, Halford, Foley, Edwards, Hemmings, Vokes, Ebanks-Blake.  SUBS: McCarey, Craddock, Davis, Van Damme, Jones, Jarvis, Doyle, Fletcher, Henry, Bera, Rooney, Spray, Winnall, Dunleavy, Ebanks-Landell.

 

0: Wolves team a mixture of established senior players and young professionals.  Malone given a chance at right back and Batth in the centre.  Hemmings looks set to play wide left. 

 

0: Off and running.

 

 

2: Early chance for Wolves thanks to good work from Foley and backheel from Stearman for Ebanks-Blake but his shot from the angle is blocked.

 

4: Wolves have started well.  Malone involved and the ball breaks to Vokes whose through on the left hand side but his attempt is diverted wide by Walsall's debutant keeper Brain.

 

5: Wolves fans filling the stand opposite the dugouts. As well as the stand behind one of the goals.  Well over half of the overall attendance. A lone Vuvuzela can be heard at the ground.  Will it survive?!

 

6: The entire first six minutes all played in Walsall's half.

 

10: Still all Wolves.  Edwards plays a one-two with Ebanks-Blake before shooting over and now Ebanks-Blake finds Stearman in space on the right.  The defender advances purposefully before drilling a powerful shot not far wide of the target.

 

11: GOAL: HEMMINGS 0-1. And you have to say that's been coming.  Great cross by Halford to the back post and clinically finished off with a header from Hemmings.

 

15: A decent run from goalscorer Hemmings before he tries a shot which is just high and wide.

 

16: And it's Hemmings again with an effort from distance but it's further off target this time.  Looking very bright though is Hemmings.

 

18: This time it's Hemmings with a cross from the left which is met by Halford on the stretch at the far post but the midfielder hooks the ball into the side netting from a difficult angle.

 

24: Ebanks-Blake has looked sharp in the early exchanges and breaks through down the right but his attempted pass for Edwards is slightly too strong.

 

25: First real opening for Walsall after Stearman goes through a Walsall player on the left.  Richards sends the free kick to the back post where it's met by McDonald but although he climbs to win the header it's wide of the target.

 

32: Stoppage to allow Elokobi to get treatment sees a few of the players take on drinks.  And from the restart Jones does well on the left and his cross is destined for Deeney until Malone nips in to whip the ball off his toes.

 

33: This is Walsall's best spell and Taundry now sends in a cross which Nicholls can't direct goalwards.  The Saddlers enjoying some possession now.

 

36: Taundry now goes close himself for Walsall.  Wins the ball with a fine tackle in midfield and then sends in a long range effort which isn't far wide of Ikeme's left hand post

 

37: GOAL: VOKES 0-2. Wolves respond to Walsall's best spell by going up the other end and doubling their lead.  Good left wing cross from Malone is met at the near post by Vokes with a neat finish.

 

 

40: Another good Wolves move.  Hemmings finds Ebanks-Blake whose neat backheel is met by Malone only for his right foot shot to go over the bar.

 

40: Wolves chairman Steve Morgan in attendance this evening.  Took his seat earlier with son Red near Wolves director John Gough.

 

 

43: GOAL: VOKES 0-3. Wolves extend their lead and it's Vokes again.  The striker nips in to latch onto a defensive back-header which doesn't reach the keeper and rounds keeper Brain before slotting home.

 

45: One minute added time to follow.

 

45+1: Marshall with a glimmer of an opening for Walsall but his curling shot is wide of the far post.

 

HALF TIME: WALSALL 0-3 WOLVES

 

46: Back underway.

 

 

49: Straight from the Development team's training ground as Malone swings in a free kick from the right and Batth meets it with a header narrowly over the bar.

 

53: Walsall's first attack of note of the half sees Taundry fire over with a half volley from a difficult chance.

 

59: First chance for Wolves. Stearman, who played the majority of Saturday's game after coming on for Zubar, is replaced by John Dunleavy.

 

61: Good chance for Wolves.  Edwards sends in a cross to the back post and Halford meets it on the volley but it bounces off Smith for a Wolves corner.

 

62: Corner is dealt with by Walsall but Wolves win another immediately.

 

63: And now another flag kick after Batth's header comes off Deeney and wide.

 

63: And here's another one! Malone's inswinger is cleared out but his attempt to return the ball goes out for another corner.

 

64: And this time Ebanks-Blake's backheader is inches over the bar.

 

64: Double change for Walsall, Lancashire and Byfield for McDonald and Nicholls.

 

66: GOAL: EBANKS-BLAKE 0-4. Superb goal from Ebanks-Blake.  The striker gets on the end of Halford's flick-on down the right and shows all his power to hold off Lancashire before firing low into the bottom corner.

 

 

67: And now ten substitutions for Wolves with Ikeme and the nine outfield starters replaced.  On come McCarey, Craddock, Berra, Van Damme, Winnall, Henry, Jones, Jarvis, Doyle and Fletcher.

 

68: The Wolves proportion of that crowd loved that Ebanks-Blake goal and it's started a lively atmosphere with both sets of fans in good voice.

 

71: First thumping tackle from Van Damme boosts the atmosphere even more!

 

72: Another switch for Walsall, Stokes on for Westlake.

 

72: "Super Mick McCarthy" from the Wolves fans behind the goal.  The boss responds.

 

74: Lovely incisive Wolves move featuring Henry, Jones, Dunleavy, Winnall and Jarvis ends with a cross to Doyle.  The striker takes a touch but can't quite catch the shot properly.

 

74: Jones tries a shot which is blocked by Brain and the keeper then gets up to thwart Doyle from the follow-up as well.

 

75: The Wolves substitutes are in the groove as much as the starters were and Jones heads back Jarvis's cross for Doyle who sidesteps a defender before his effort deflected out.

 

76: Winnall sends in the corner, met by Berra, but over.

 

76: Another change for the Saddlers, Geddes on for Richards.

 

78: More neat Wolves attacking with Fletcher involved and Doyle turns before firing a low drive narrowly wide.

 

79: Rare respite for Walsall with a decent attack.  Jones sends in a cross and Deeney heads just over.

 

81: Little bit of afters between Berra and Deeney after the Wolves defender took exception to a late challenge. The pair had also had a dabble a few minutes earlier.

 

83: And Deeney is now replaced by Grigg.

 

86: Crowd is 4, 963.  Wolves element of that is 2, 624.

 

87: Geddes shoots from distance - McCarey takes it cleanly.

 

89: Switch for Walsall, Paterson on for Jones.

 

90: Two minutes added time to follow.

 

FULL TIME: WALSALL 0-4 WOLVES