Wolves under-23s maintained their perfect start to their Premier League Cup campaign with a comfortable victory at Swansea City, after goals from Owen Hesketh and Luke Cundle.
A goal in each half did the damage in South Wales and saw Wolves remain top of their group with nine points from nine. Hesketh got the ball rolling by turning home Jack Scott’s cross, before Cundle earned and scored a penalty on the hour-mark to wrap up the victory.
Wolves have enjoyed themselves in the Premier League Cup this season, and if they were to win once again, they’d have to do so for the majority without their focal point in Conor Carty, whose early injury was the main talking point of the opening stages.
Wolves took their time adapting to the change, with Jamie Searle in the Swansea goal making just one routine save, while his opposite number Joe O’Shaugnessy was required to make a simple stop to deny Lincoln McFayden.
However, five minutes before the break, Wolves cranked it up a gear and got their reward. Scott exchanged passes with Jack Hodnett down the right and his clipped crosses caught the fingertips of Searle, but no more, allowing Hesketh to readjust and turn home on the fall from close range.
Half-time | Swansea 0-1 Wolves
It was Lee Harkin who’d taken the place of Carty in the opening stages, and he had two opportunities to double Wolves’ lead after the break, but couldn’t find a way past Searle for Swansea, who actually enjoyed more of the ball in the opening 15 minutes of the second period.
However, when the Swans gave the ball away when playing out from the back, Harkin played in Cundle, who was taken out by Searle when attempting to round the goalkeeper. Captain Cundle took the responsibility himself, firing low to his right and sending Searle the wrong way.
Professionalism was the aim of the game from that point, as Wolves held their hosts at bay to secure that all important clean sheet. James Collins made changes to freshen things up as the game ebbed away from the Swans and Wolves saw out another Premier League Cup victory.
Full-time | Swansea 0-2 Wolves
COMING UP
Like the first-team, Norwich City are up next for the under-23s, who return to PL2 when they host the Canaries at Aggborough Stadium on Monday evening.
NEXT FIVE
29/11 Norwich City (H)
03/12 Fulham (A)
13/12 West Ham United (A) PLC
20/12 Newcastle United (H)
05/01 Swansea City (H) PLC
TEAMS
Swansea | Searle, Rushesha, Jones, Cotterill, Butler, Margetson, Congreve (Forrester 73), Leverett, Morgan (Lloyd 78), Whittaker, McFayden.
Unused subs | Hansen, Jones, Campbell.
Wolves | O’Shaugnessy, Scott, Estrada, Tipton, Hubner, Bueno, Griffiths (Birtwistle 61), Cundle, Hodnett, Hesketh (Roberts 72), Carty (Harkin 15).
Unused subs | Lembikisa, Bugarin.
