Norwich City 3 (Naismith 13, Brady-pen 72, Howson 90+1)
Wolves 1 (Costa-pen 57)
Wolves travelled back from East Anglia pointless following a 3-1 defeat against Norwich at Carrow Road in a game that saw them finishing with ten men following the dismissal of Carl Ikeme after a controversial penalty decision.
There were two changes to the team that had beaten Aston Villa with Dominic Iorfa and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson coming in for Conor Coady and Nouha Dicko who joined new signing Andreas Weimann on the bench.
City kicked-off but there was little by way of goalmouth action until the tenth minute when Ivan Cavaleiro hit a shot from the 18-yard line that was well wide of the far post.
But the 13th minute proved to be unlucky for Wolves as the home side moved ahead. Jonny Howson was 30-yards out when he hit a shot that beat Ikeme but smacked against his left-hand post. Richard Stearman got his head to the ball but it fell nicely to Steven Naismith who drove it back into the corner of the net.
Russell Martin’s shove on Heldar Costa to the right of the home area gave Wanderers some hope of a quick response but when Costa laid the free-kick into the path of Jack Price the midfielder’s low shot bounced to safety off a defender.
When Cavaleiro lost possession in his own area to Jacob Murphy the alarm bells rang but when the ball was played to Cameron Jerome he ballooned it over the bar from 20-yards out.
Ikeme had to be at his best to beat away a fierce effort from Howson who had been played in by Jerome before Bodvarsson’s pace opened up a chance for Joe Mason who connected with the Icelander’s low cross but failed to get enough power behind his shot.
Dave Edwards was wide of the mark after Iorfa had laid the ball into his path and then an angled drive from Bodvarsson had the sting taken out of it when the ball struck a defender. It looped into the air and dropped nicely into the arms of John Ruddy in the Canaries goal.
Strearman did superbly in blocking a low effort from Wes Hoolahan who had been set up by Murphy, before a clearance from Ikeme struck Naismith but thankfully bounced away from the unguarded net for a throw-in.
Just before the break, Price’s low cross fell to Mason who had his back to goal. The striker turned quickly but he fired over the bar.
Half-Time: Canaries 1 Wolves 0
Weimann replaced Cavaleiro at the start of the new half which was less than two minutes old when City won a free-kick virtually on the line of the 18-yard box to the left of Ikeme’s goal. Hoolahan’s kick flew dangerously through the area and out to safety of the far side.
The woodwork came to Wolves’ rescue for the second time when Jerome struck a terrific shot that hit the inside of the post and flew across the face of goal before being cleared.
Wolves drew level in the 57th minute from the spot. Matt Doherty took a return pass from Bodvarsson and went down under a challenge from Ivo Pinto. Costa gave Ruddy no chance with the penalty (pictured).
There was an immediate change to the Wanderers team with Bright Enobakhare replacing Mason up front.
Costa went on a run into the home area but his shot cannoned off Martin and went behind for an unproductive corner.
Another Costa corner almost yielded dividends as Doherty’s near post flick was smothered on the line by Ruddy before Dicko went on in place of Bodvarsson.
Since Costa’s goal Wanderers had seemed to grow in confidence and after Weismann had run onto Edwards’s pass and shot over, the new man played Dicko in but his angled effort bounced away off Timm Klose.
Edwards was booked for clipping the heels of Jacob Murphy before the game erupted in the 72nd minute.
Hoolahan went down as he and Ikeme challenged for the ball which was rolling towards the by-line.
Before he had even realised that the referee had pointed to the spot the keeper reacted, clearly thinking that the Norwich player had gone down too easily. Ikeme’s reaction to the incident lead to him being shown the red card.
After players from both sides had joined in the ensuing melee, Hoolahan and Doherty were both yellow carded.
With all substitutes used, Doherty took over in goal but he stood no chance with Robbie Brady’s spot kick.
Little in the way of decisions or luck went the way of Paul Lambert’s men in the closing stages even to the extent of City’s third goal, in the first minute of stoppage time, when Howson’s shot hit Stearman and deflected past Doherty.
City: Ruddy, Martin (capt), Naismith, Howson, Jerome (Lafferty 86), Brady, Hoolahan (Pritchard 81), Klose, Jacob Murphy (Josh Murphy 81), Pinto, Tettey.
Unused subs: McGovern, Bassong, Bennett, Godfrey.
Booking: Hoolahan (72 – ungentlemanly conduct).
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Iorfa, Edwards, Stearman, Batth (capt), Costa, Price, Mason (Enobakhare 58), Bodvarsson (Dicko 66), Cavaleiro (Weimann 45).
Unused subs: Burgoyne, Saville, Evans, Coady.
Bookings: Edwards (70 – foul), Doherty (72 – dissent).
Sending-Off: Ikeme (72 – violent conduct).
Referee: D. Coote.
Attendance: 26,303.
Wolves Academy Under 18s 2 (Giles, Allan) Manchester City 5
