Wolves mauled in Black Country derby
Kevin Phillips extended his reputation as the king of derbies with another decisive strike to send West Bromwich Albion coasting into the FA Cup fifth round in a 3-0 win away to arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Phillips has scored goals for all of his previous clubs in derby matches and secured his fourth goal in three games at Wolves with a well taken second half finish.
Diomansy Kamara gave Albion the lead after a devastating 55-yard run and Tony Mowbray, the Albion manager, comfortably eased to his second victory in two attempts over their Black Country rivals.
“It was a fantatstic away performance,” Phillips, whose side are currently in the play-off places as they push for a return to the Premiership. “And it could have been a lot better if we’d taken all our chances.”
Mowbray had already condemned Mick McCarthy’s men to defeat in the bitter West Midlands derby, after a 3-0 victory in the Championship, English football’s second division, marked his first game in charge at the Hawthorns.
And he could not possibly have envisaged a more simple stroll as Wolves lumbered in front of a full house, with substitute Zoltan Gera adding a late third to reflect the visitors’ total superiority.
“They were better than us,” admitted Wolves boss McCarthy, previously in charge of the Republic of Ireland and Sunderland. “Conceding the first two goals like we did, we didn’t give ourselves a chance to get better.”
Albion manager Mowbray’s preparations for the tie had been affected by the club’s decision to suspend goalkeeper Russell Hoult after a lurid allegation about his private life in English newspapers.
Pascal Zuberbuhler, the Swiss international goalkeeper, was given his first start since October as a result but was practically a spectator for the opening stages as the visitors made a determined start.
Indeed, Albion could have been well ahead in the opening 20 minutes.
Welsh international midfielder Jason Koumas sent a free kick narrowly wide from 20 yards before Kamara poked wide after being released by Phillips.
It looked set to be a first half stalemate until Albion took the lead in bizarre fashion a minute before the break.
As Wolves attempted to apply late pressure, Jackie McNamara’s shot was charged down by Kamara and, following a flick-on from Phillips, Kamara raced a full 55 yards to shake off Mark Little, round Murray and languidly pass the ball into the empty net.
McCarthy was desperate to avoid a second humiliation and at half-time hauled off the ineffective Craig Davies and Rohan Ricketts for Stephen Ward and Mark Davies.
But the game was beyond him within four minutes of the second half. Kamara was given far too much space to advance through the middle and he threaded a pass through to an unmarked Phillips who finished with ease.
Referee Uriah Rennie has never been shy of courting controversy and was at it again just before the hour when he inexplicably failed to send off Zuberbuhler.
The giant keeper was caught in no-mans land trying to charge down a clearance but was sidestepped by Seyi Olofinjana and then hauled the midfielder down as he advanced on the open goal.
Zuberbuhler escaped with only a yellow card, leaving McCarthy dumbfounded on the touchline.
But Wolves’s misery was compounded 12 minutes from time when Hungarian international Gera headed Koumas’s corner past Murray.
Source:Soccer News
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