Wolves 0 Norwich 1 (Duffy 19)
Wolves under-21s fell to defeat against Norwich City in the Premier League Cup on Monday evening.
Joe Duffy’s effort in the first half won it for the visitors, as his attempt somehow found the back of the net on 19 minutes.
Wolves pressed hard for an equaliser and created numerous opening in front of goal and hit the woodwork on three separate occasions, but couldn’t quite force a route back into the game.
In the absence of Justin Hubner, Owen Farmer wore the armband and the skipper for the night came close early on as his dipping effort from range struck the outside of the post.
Norwich then had an opening of their own as Ken Aboh was slipped in down the left-hand channel and forced Joe Young into a low save that he pushed away.
The Canaries took the lead on the 19th minute in unusual circumstances when the ball was worked out to the left-hand side where Guilherme Montoia cut it back for Duffy whose first-time poke somehow looped high and into the far corner of the net.
Wolves looked to force an equaliser and went close following a goalmouth scramble but were unable to force the ball in, before Owen Hesketh fired over from an acute angle after Jonny had played a ball over the top.
At the other end, Young produced a superb reflex save when Aboh rose highest in the box and headed down towards goal, before the goalkeeper acrobatically tipped over the bar.
Half-time | Wolves 0-1 Norwich
Bruno Jordao replaced Matty Whittingham at the half-time interval and Wolves came out for the second half looking to level. Hesketh came close to doing so, but his strike at the near post was well-saved by Vicente Reyes who had his goal covered.
Young had to be alert at the other end when Aboh broke the offside trap and closed in on goal, but Young was able to spread himself and save with his legs.
Wolves thought they’d levelled when Josh Esen let fly from distance with a strike that was as clean as a whistle, however the ball hit both the bar and post and agonisingly bounced the other side of the line.
It was a mystery how the home side hadn’t yet scored and even more so when they hit the woodwork for a third time on the evening. From a Hesketh corner, Leo Lopes rose highest and headed off the bar before Temple Ojinnaka fired the rebound over.
And the chances kept coming for the Old Gold as Farmer, who was a threat all evening, saw the ball drop to his feet inside the six-yard box, but poked wide of the mark from a few yards out.
A substitute trialist then had a golden chance with the final kick as Farmer’s superb run created the opportunity, but the ball was put wide of the post meaning Wolves are still awaiting their first victory of the group stage.
Full-time | Wolves 0-1 Norwich
COMING UP
Wolves under-21s are back at Aggborough next Monday as Blackburn Rovers visit in Premier League 2.
NEXT FIVE
- 18/12 Blackburn Rovers (H)
- 12/01 Norwich City (A)
- 17/01 Hertha Berlin (H) PLIC
- 22/01 AFC Bournemouth (A) PL Cup
- 26/01 Arsenal (H)
TEAMS
Wolves | Young, Kaleta, Jonny, Whittingham (Jordao 46), Mabete (Kandola 64), Ojinnaka, Lopes (E. McLeod 72), Esen, Fraser (Trialist 64), Hesketh, Farmer.
Subs not used | Keto-Diyawa.
Norwich City | Reyes, McIntosh, Montoia (Eze 77), Adegboyega, Wilson, Brooke, Lima, Manning, Aboh, Welch, Duffy (Reindorf 77).
Subs not used | Craven.
