Two goals in the first 15 minutes from Rodrigo was enough to secure the points for the Yorkshire outfit, but Collins felt that the clinical finishing of Leeds’ club record signing proved to be the difference in the tie, with his young Wolves side having creating chances, but were not as precise in front of goal.
On facing an experienced Leeds side
“It was a proper game. It was probably the hardest game we’ve had all season, which we expected. Leeds use it almost as a reserve team, which means they drop first-team players in, which is terrific for us.
“It’s brilliant because it gives our players a challenge that we want them to have. The boys have got to want to play against top players, and he’s certainly a top player.”
On falling to two early Rodrigo goals
“Tight games at the top of leagues are decided by those key moments, and that was a key moment early on in the game.
“We switched off for a little bit from the set-piece, it was a well-worked set-piece, but we switched off from it, which is something for us to learn from.
“Before the game we spoke to our boys about playing short early and not allowing them to suffocate us like Leeds United do, and we played a little short pass which let them in, and then all of a sudden we’re two down. Then it’s a long way back.
“I thought we did come back quite well, but maybe that chance at the end of the half, Chem [Campbell] had a good chance where he did well and cut in, and if we got it back to 2-1 then, it’s game on.
“In the second-half, I thought we huffed and puffed, worked hard and really tried to get after them, but we didn’t quite create enough chances in the second-half to feel we deserved to draw the game.”