Wolves 0
Blackburn Rovers 0
For a third successive home game, Wolves were held to a goalless draw with Carl Ikeme pulling off two tremendous saves in stoppage time to help stretch the currant unbeaten run to six games.
Adam Le Fondre came in for the injured Michal Zyro as the only change to the home starting line-up.
Rovers kicked-off attacking the South Bank end but the first chance fell to Wolves with James Henry’s teasing cross just eluding George Saville at the far post.
Jack Price and Henry had well struck long range shots blocked in the Blackburn box as Wanderers tried to force the pace.
The visitors lost the services of Danny Graham who limped off in the 16th minute to be replaced by Chris Brown. Graham had a loan spell at Molineux last season.
Joe Mason hit a tremendous shot from ten-yards out following a centre from Henry. It looked a certainty for the back of the net until the ball hit a defender and bounced to safety. It was only then that the offside flag was spotted by the referee.
Price from the left and Henry from the right had free-kicks cleared in quick succession before Danny Batth headed narrowly over his own bar as he cleared a corner from one time Molineux youth graduate Elliott Bennett.
Saville’s foul on Jordi Gomez opened up an opportunity for the visitors as Ben Marshall’s free-kick dropped at the feet of Shane Duffy in the six-yard box. But before the defender could control the ball Coady nipped in with a crucial clearance.
Le Fondre wasn’t far away with a searing angled volley after good work from Dominic Iorfa had created the chance.
Darragh Lenihan was then shown the yellow card for a late challenge on Le Fondre.
A defender just managed to clear as Le Fondre tried a spectacular overhead kick following more good work from Iorfa.
In the 44th minute Gomez almost fired Rovers into an interval lead. He let fly from 25-yards and Ikeme made a brilliant save in turning the ball onto his right hand post.
Price’s corner was only half cleared and Matt Doherty dribbled his way into the Blackburn box but lost possession before he could get a shot in.
Just before the break Coady went down in midfield clutching his leg but thankfully he was able to resume after treatment.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Rovers 0
Five minutes after the resumption Rovers keeper Jason Steele had to punch clear a cross from Henry and then the winger sent over a free-kick from the right of the box after Grant Hanley had fouled Le Fondre. But again, the danger was cleared.
Kenny Jackett then made a double change with Bright Enobakhare and Connor Hunte taking the places of Mason and Saville respectively.
Matt Grimes was booked for fouling Enobakhare and when Hanley was pulled up for a foal on the striker, Hunte’s free-kick was cleared.
Simeon Jackson took the place of Grimes for Rovers and, after Iorfa had been booked for a mistimed challenge on the newly arrived substitute, Bjorn Sigurdarson became Wolves‘ final change when he took the place of Le Fondre.
Sigurdarson got a shot away from the edge of the box but the ball went straight through to Steele and for Blackburn, when Jackson got his foot to a cross from the right he must have thought he was about to break the deadlock but Ikeme was there to deny him.
Bennett became the third member of the opposition to see yellow after he tripped Sigurdarson before the game drifted into three minutes of stoppage time.
And it was in the dying seconds that Ikeme twice pulled off world class saves to thwart Blackburn’s hopes of a last gasp winner.
First he spectacularly turned over Gomez’s header following a pinpoint cross from Marshall, then he pushed over a point-blank header from Shane Duffy from Bennett’s left-wing corner.
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Iorfa, Price, Batth (capt), Hause, Henry, Coady, Le Fondre (Sigurdarson74), Mason (Enobakare 58), Saville (Hunte 58).
Unused subs: Martinez, Helan, Edwards, Deslandes.
Booking: Iorfa (73 – foul).
Rovers: Steele, Kilgallon, Hanley (capt), Lowe, Marshall, Graham (Brown 16), Gomez, Grimes (Jackson 35), Duffy, Lenihan, Bennett.
Unused subs: Henley, Williamson, Evans, Ward, Raya.
Bookings: Lenihan (37 – foul), Grimes (60 - foul), Bennett (87 - foul).
Referee: M. Brown.
Attendance: 19,538.
Arsenal Under 18s 2 Wolves 1 (Allen)
