Shropshire Star

Wolves 2 Swansea 2 - in pictures

Photos from Wolves' dramatic Premier League comeback at home to Swansea.

Published
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.
Supporting image.

Photos from Wolves' dramatic Premier League comeback at home to Swansea.

Late goals from Kevin Doyle and Jamie O'Hara spared the Molineux fans' blushes and ended a sequence of five straight defeats for manager Mick McCarthy.

Wolves pulled off an extraordinary comeback to salvage a point just when they looked doomed against Swansea.

Manager Mick McCarthy was facing the wrath of the crowd after goals from Danny Graham in the 23rd minute and Joe Allen befpre half-time left his side staring a sixth successive defeat in the face.

But they somehow clawed back a point with two goals in three minutes.

Kevin Doyle stabbed home after substitute Sam Vokes' shot was saved by goalkeeper Michel Vorm on 84 minutes and Jamie O'Hara drove high into the net two minutes later to cap a superb move.

But, perhaps not surprisingly, it was a nervous, uncertain performance from the hosts not helped by an edgy crowd who at one point chanted 'you're getting sacked in the morning' to McCarthy.

McCarthy made one change to the side that lost 2-0 at West Brom last Sunday.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake came in for his first Premier League start since April 9 at the expense of Nenad Milijas, who dropped to the bench, as McCarthy reverted back to 4-4-2.

On the bench, Matt Doherty replaced Ronald Zubar, who has suffered a recurrence of his groin injury.

Wolves made the brighter start at a tense Molineux and forced a chance after just 40 seconds, when Karl Henry bludgeoned a shot from 30 yards that hit the chest of Vorm before Garry Monk headed clear.

Swansea were next to threaten, as Allen saw a rising effort from similar distance tipped over by Wayne Hennessey.

Seconds later,Graham got ahead of Stephen Ward for an angled volley that drifted wide.

But Wolves hit back and almost forced the breakthrough after 20 minutes.

First Matt Jarvis saw a shot on the turn blocked by Angel Rangel.

Then, when the ball returned to the danger area, it squirted up and away from Ebanks-Blake as he tried to control a cross under pressure, before O'Hara volleyed goalwards but straight at Vorm.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 23rd minute but, instead of Wolves, it went to Swansea.

A routine ball over the top by Mark Gower seemed to get Roger Johnson in all sorts of trouble, with the £4.5m defender missing two attempts to clear before Graham bundled home from six yards.

Wolves tried to hit back and Adam Hammill's curling free kick from the corner of the area was tipped around the post by Vorm as it headed under the bar.

Replays then showed referee Mike Oliver got it right when Wolves appealed for a penalty for Monk's challenge on Jarvis, the offence occurring just inches outside the box.

But O'Hara's flicked-up attempt from the free kick flew straight at Monk.

Wolves were again made to pay for missing chances, as Swansea stunned Molineux by scoring a second goal in the 35th minute.

This time, the whole team seemed wrong-footed by a simple ball down the line by Rangel, as Wolves were looking to play offside.

Graham took the pass in his stride and crossed to Allen, who tapped home from close range with the defence all at sea.

There were some isolated chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' aimed at McCarthy, but most fans were simply stunned into silence.

Wolves had a half chance to pull one back soon after when Vorm dropped the ball under pressure from Johnson, but Christophe Berra blazed well over.

Henry drove tamely wide after wriggling into a shooting position as half-time approached, but McCarthy's side had had the stuffing knocked out of them and looked a different team from the one that started the match.

Predictably, the half-time whistle was greeted by a chorus of boos and things didn't look much following the restart.

Henry, who had arguably looked Wolves' best player, cut out a pass and fired a left-foot drive wide.

Then the former Wolves captain saved a near certain goal with a superb tackle on Gower, who had shaped to lash home Nathan Dyer's cross.

Wolves wasted another decent chance when Jarvis headed wide from six yards out, after Adam Hammill crossed from the right.

All the fire seemed to have drained out of Wolves and the atmosphere began to turn sour.

First the South Bank chanted for Jody Craddock then aimed their dserison at McCarthy, as his substitutions of Hammill and Jarvis for Nenad Milijas and Adlene Guedioura were greeted by a chorus of 'you don't know what you're doing.'

There was even a chant of 'you're getting sacked in the morning.'

Amid such a negative atmosphere, Scott Sinclair and Angel Rangel saw deflected efforts go wide.

But, with Wolves heading for a sixth successive defeat and the game going nowhere, McCarthy's team fashioned an unlikely comeback.

However, with Manchester City coming up twice in succession, it promises to get anything but easier for Wolves and the manager.