Wolves 2 (Wilson 46, Dicko 67)
Middlesbrough 1 (Morelli 90+5)
Although the final score was a close one, the Wolves under 23s dominated their game with a previously unbeaten Middlesbrough side in an entertaining contest at the Bucks Head.
Home keeper Harry Burgoyne was soon called into action as he dived and saved at the feet of Joao Morelli who had chased a diagonal cross into the box.
For Wolves Will Randall sprinted into the Boro area and drove a low cross through the goalmouth. Just a touch was needed but the ball ran to safety on the far side.
Donovan Wilson wasn’t far away with a shot from the edge of the area that flew past the far post and then, from a Connor Ronan corner, Nouha Dicko headed the ball on across the face of goal just beyond the outstretched boot of Sylvain Deslandes.
Boro keeper Aynsley Pears saved a bouncing effort from Christian Herc and, in Wolves next attack, Pears saved Dicko’s shot on the turn.
Alex Pattison screwed a shot wide in a rare Boro attack after the home defence had failed to clear its lines before Wilson drew a diving save from Pears at the other end after Ronan had created the opening.
When Randall’s effort from just inside the area was blocked, Wilson’s follow up suffered the same fate and, in the 37th minute, when Morgan Gibbs-White’s attempt came back off a defender Deslandes hit the rebound towards goal but the ball struck Jordan McGhee and bounced behind.
From Ronan’s corner the ball was headed out to Wilson whose piledriver smashed against the underside of the bar and bounced to a defender who cleared.
Just before the break Burgoyne just managed to paw the ball away from the feet of Pattison who had run onto a flick from Arnel Jakupovic.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Boro 0
Just 28 seconds after the resumption Wilson got the goal he deserved tapping the ball over the line after Pears and Mark Kitching failed to deal with Connor Johnson’s long ball into the box.
It was almost two in the 51st minute as a three on one Wolves break ended with Dicko’s shot striking McGhee and going behind for a corner.
Herc went close with a drive from 20-yards that took a massive deflection off Robbie Tinkler and ballooned over the stranded Pears to land on the roof of the net.
Gibbs-White then wasted a good chance when he fired high over the bar as Wanderers continued to pile on the pressure.
Wolves doubled their advantage in the 67th minute as Dicko intercepted Niall McGoldrick’s back pass and drew Pears before slotting the ball home.
Both Wilson and Dicko were afforded warm applause from the crowd as they made way for Bright Enobakhare and Ross Finnie respectively.
In the dying minutes Ronan and Enobakhare went close to adding to the score but, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Morelli ran through unopposed to beat Burgoyne and give the visitors a consolation goal. It was the last kick of the game.
Wolves: Burgoyne, Simpson, Deslandes, Herc, Connor Johnson, Leak, Wilson (Enobakhare 72), Ronan, Dicko (Finnie 79), Gibbs-White (McKenna 90+2), Randall.
Unused subs: Odoffin, Upton.
Boro: Pears, Callum Johnson, McGoldrick, McGhee, Kitching, Tinkler, Morelli, Wheatley, Jakupovic McAloon 89), Pattison (Mondal 64), Cooke.
Unused subs: Tavernier, Elsdon, Fryer.
Referee: T. Bramall.
Attendance: 182.
