In what was Wolves’ first competitive game of the campaign, Jota opened the scoring with a fine finish, before compatriot Ruben Vinagre added a late second to ensure Wolves take a 2-0 lead into next week’s second leg of the second round qualifying tie in Belfast. Jota, who looked lively throughout as he aims to continue the fine form he showed in the second half of last season, was pleased with his side’s performance.
On trying to break through
“We knew from the beginning that they would defend with a lot of men (behind the ball), trying not to concede. It was a good test for us – trying to build against a lot of defenders, and I think we got the result that we wanted in the end, which is all that matters.
“Last season was a fantastic season for me and for the club, so we want to keep up the good work. In our first official match (of the season), it’s good to get a result.”
On the Crusaders test
“To be honest I didn’t know much about them before this game, but they were well organised and gave 100 per cent in each tackle and each moment of the game, so they made it hard for us.
“They did their best, but we deserved to win. They are losing at the moment so we will see if they do something different (in the second leg).”
Of Wolves’ pre-season so far
“Travelling is part of the game and part of the organisation of the good teams. We want to be a good team, so it’s part of the job and we need to get used to that. I am young, so I still feel fresh almost all of the time.”
