Championship Trophy In Safe Hands

Wolves lifted the Championship title on home soil and were able to celebrate promotion to the Premier League at Molineux after a goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

A contest out of keeping with a season full of entertaining matches and, more importantly goals and victories, but this was a rare, uneventful 90 minutes for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

Chances were at a premium, with Both Benik Afobe and Romain Saiss having Wolves’ best opportunities, while Wednesday offered little in the final third and John Ruddy remained untested.

However, the stalemate counted for little in the grand scheme of things and Wolves were able to celebrate a memorable campaign with a trophy lift, shared by Danny Batth and Conor Coady.

Welcomed onto Molineux by a Sheffield Wednesday Guard of Honour and cauldron of noise from the terraces, Nuno and his side will have felt proud before kicking off their final home game of this campaign as title winners.

In truth, the game’s opening didn’t live up to the welcome and Fernando Forestieri’s weak overhead kick was the first effort on goal after 14 minutes.

Wolves were able to play pressure free however, knowing the title was sealed, and Romain Saiss’ speculative effort from range was never troubling Cameron Dawson.

Despite struggling to break down a resolute Wednesday defence, Wolves were almost gifted the lead just after the half-hour mark when a stray back pass was latched onto by Afobe, but after rounding Cameron Dawson, the striker was beaten by the angle and his shot rolled harmlessly across goal.

Soon after Diogo Jota manufactured his first sighting of goal, but his snapshot from range was comfortably held by Dawson. As the half wore on Wolves were getting closer and could easily have led by the break.

First, Ruben Neves’ curling effort was cleared from close to the goalline, before a back-post header by Saiss was saved and scrambled away for a corner, bringing the first-half to a close in terms of action.

Half-Time: Wolves 0 Sheff Wed 0

Wolves were improved after the interval and Jota quickly tested Dawson twice minutes after the restart. First the goalkeeper saved with his feet, before the Wolves man forced him to go low and tip a strike around the post.

However, despite their pressure, Wolves couldn’t force the opener and Nuno sent on Leo Bonatini in place of Afobe in a bid to change proceedings. Bright Enobakhare followed soon after too, with Helder Costa making way.

With 15 minutes remaining, the hosts continued to press and Saiss’ goalbound strike was blocked, following patient build-up play, before Bonatini’s header was deflected over the bar.

The next opportunity fell to substitute, Enobakhare but, after running onto a fine Bonatini pass, the winger lost his composure and dragged his effort well wide of the mark.

With chances still hard to come by, Morgan Gibbs-White was given a run-out in place of Jota, but it did little to alter proceeds and the contest would finish goalless. It mattered not though and Wolves were able to celebrate post-match.

Full-Time: Wolves 0 Sheff Wed 0

Wolves: Ruddy, Doherty, Douglas, Batth ©, Neves, Boly, Coady, Jota (Gibbs-White 87), Costa (Enobakhare 74), Afobe (Bonatini 55), Saiss.

Unused Subs: Norris, N’Diaye, Miranda, Hause.

Booked: Saiss (83)

Sheff Wed: Dawson, Bannan, Lees ©, Nuhiu, Joao (Matias 60), Reach, Pulepessy, Pudil, Thorniley, Forestieri, Venancio.

Unused Subs: Wildsmith, Jones, Rhodes, Boyd, Baker, Nielsen.

Referee: Simon Hooper

Attendance: 29,794 (Away: 2,193)

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