Wolves boss Mick McCarthy had the last laugh as his recalled first-choice players overcame Burnley 2-0 thanks to goals from Nenad Milijas and Kevin Doyle to move out of the Barclays Premier League bot
Posted Sunday, December 20, 2009 by PA
McCarthy had come in for heavy criticism after fielding a virtual reserve team at Manchester United in midweek to ensure his players were fresh to face the Clarets.
But any anger among the Wolves fans over that move was forgotten as Milijas and Doyle secured a third win in four matches for the midlands club.
It moved them level on 19 points with Burnley who have now gone seven games without a win.
Wolves were well worth their win with record signing Doyle leading the Wolves attack effectively and again justifying his #6.5million price tag with his fifth goal of the campaign and creating the other for Milijas.
There were encouraging signs that his partnership with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is beginning to flourish and the ex-Plymouth player deserved a goal for his efforts after his best performance of the season.
Burnley looked suspect at the back and have now conceded 29 goals away from Turf Moor this season, although they always looked a threat on the break with Chris Eagles posing their main danger.
Wolves were first to settle in the freezing conditions and Ebanks-Blake was inches away from connecting with a probing ball across the six-yard box by Milijas.
Doyle came close to breaking the deadlock when his 20-yard shot took a deflection and curled only a couple of feet wide.
And the perseverance of Doyle led to Wolves taking the lead after 16 minutes through Milijas.
Doyle's never-say-die attitude enabled him to dispossess Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle and tee up a chance for Matt Jarvis, whose shot was parried by Clarets keeper Brian Jensen.
But Milijas was first to react to the rebound and side-footed his shot into the corner of the net.
Burnley tried to retaliate and Eagles set up an excellent chance for Kevin McDonald but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Doyle had an even better opportunity to double Wolves' lead after he had beaten the offside trap to run onto a chip over the Burnley defence from Milijas.
But the Republic Of Ireland striker was foiled by Jensen who blocked his shot with his outstretched right leg.
Milijas failed to make the most of a promising set-piece opportunity after Eagles had fouled Richard Stearman and sent his shot straight into the defensive wall.
He then scuffed his shot after Jarvis had spotted him in space just outside the Burnley box from a corner.
The Clarets were forced into a defensive switch after 34 minutes when Carlisle limped out of the action to be replaced by Michael Duff.
Henry became the first player to be yellow carded a minute later for a challenge on Graham Alexander.
Jarvis fired a 20-yarder straight at Jensen as Wolves continued to look the more threatening ahead of half-time.
Burnley started the second half on the offensive and had claims for a penalty rejected after a challenge by Stearman on Fletcher as he attacked a centre from Steven Fletcher.
Duff should have done better when he got on the end of a near-post ball from Alexander but he failed to make full contact on his shot.
It proved to be a costly miss as Doyle doubled Wolves lead with his fifth goal of the campaign after 50 minutes.
Jody Craddock floated the ball forward and Doyle showed great control in shrugging off the challenge of Steven Caldwell and cutting inside Duff before firing past Jensen.
Burnley boss Owen Coyle responded by introducing on-loan Portsmouth striker David Nugent in place of Andre Bikey.
Ebanks-Blake was growing in confidence and Jensen had to go down to his right to hold onto a drive from the striker.
But Kevin Foley came to Wolves' rescue when he cleared a Caldwell header off the line from an inswinging Eagles corner.
Jensen then produced a superb save to turn aside a close-range header from Ebanks-Blake from Stephen Ward's pinpoint cross.
Jensen came off his line to deny Ebanks-Blake and then clung onto a header from Doyle as Wolves looked to kill the game off.
But Burnley were still posing a threat and Fletcher scooped the ball over the bar from a low Wade Elliott centre.
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