Match report by Tim Nash

We knew even before this that Wolves weren’t infallible – even at their best. But when an injury-ravaged line-up suffer as much as they did on Saturday, you know it’s time for a break.

Like an exhausted participant in yesterday’s Great North Run with the finishing line in sight, Wolves are desperate for a rest.

Fitness, as we have seen, isn’t a problem as Wolves have already shown in swatting away numerous teams like flies.

Injuries and form are something less quantifiable.

The signs were numerous – consider Wayne Hennessey, taken out of the firing line for being ‘jaded’, according to manager Mick McCarthy.

Take the seven casualties of the eight players unavailable for this clash, the ‘stodginess’ of the Wolves midfield that gave Swansea too much freedom of the Liberty Stadium, or even the ring-rustiness that plagued debutants Carlos Edwards and George Friend.

The end result is Wolves bear something of a ragged look at the moment and this international break can’t come soon enough.

Certainly not for McCarthy, who is fast running out of options. Or his crestfallen players now falling as regularly as share prices.

Strength in depth

With the swashbuckling ‘front four’ of Michael Kightly, Chris Iwelumo, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Matt Jarvis all unavailable for this test, it was hardly surprising that Wolves lacked punch in attack.

Add in the likes of George Elokobi, Jody Craddock and Michael Gray – who was declared sick on the day of the game – and you can see why they struggled.

Of course, the more savage of Wolves’ critics will say that’s what having a squad is all about – the strength in depth should be there.

Well, you can wager that strength is there, but, for whatever reason, those players failed to show it as Wolves were collectively sloppy as they conceded a 25 second opener from Jordi Gomez.

Elsewhere, their five-man midfield were always slightly off the pace set by Swansea, reinforced by the ease in which Gomez threaded through Jason Scotland for the second goal deflected up and over Carl Ikeme.

And if the midfield was slow to react, then McCarthy had a point saying the defence was off the pace as they should have pushed up for offside.

Carlos Edwards underlined why his Sunderland boss Roy Keane warned the winger may take a few games to get into his stride.

And Dave Edwards was brushed off the ball far too easily by Scotland for Swansea’s third goal.

The remnants of McCarthy’s injury-ravaged squad – which included 17-year-old scholar Ashley Hemmings on the bench – were a poor match for a free-flowing Swansea side who outplayed and out-thought Wolves for much of this spiky, rain-soaked encounter, but didn’t out-fight them.

In fairness to the visitors, they never gave up, and showed commendable spirit.

Wolves, for whom the improved Andy Keogh ploughed a lone furrow up front until the 52nd minute arrival of Sam Vokes, were left chasing the pretty patterns woven by the white shirts dancing around them.

In reverting to the 4-5-1 formation deployed at times last season, they more or less matched up with Swansea’s fluid system.

But apart from the neat passing move between Dave Jones, Dave Edwards and Keogh that saw the latter gallop through for the 16th minute equaliser, there was precious little evidence of their table-topping ability.

At 2-1, the game was evenly poised, but the next goal was crucial as Swansea seized the initiative on 57 minutes as Scotland brushed aside Edwards and rifled past Ikeme from 20 yards.

Teams:

Swansea: de Vries; Rangel, Monk, Williams, Painter; Pratley, Britton, Gomez; Gower (Bauza 90), Scotland (Pintado 72), Orlandi (Tudur-Jones 64). Subs not used: Tate, Brandy.

Wolves: Ikeme; Foley, Stearman, Collins, Ward; C Edwards (Shackell 81), Henry, Jones, D Edwards, Friend (Vokes 52); Keogh. Subs not used: Hennessey, Potter, Hemmings.

Attendance: 17,536.

REFEREE: Trevor Kettle (Rutland)