Blackburn 1 Wolves 2: Sunday Mercury Big Match Report

Aug 14 2011 by Bill Howell, Sunday Mercury

MICK McCarthy hailed the spirit of his side after they came from behind to win for the first time away from home in the Premier League.

Stephen Fletcher carried on where he left off last season with a headed equaliser from Matt Jarvis’ centre after Mauro Formica’s opener.

Then moments after Kevin Doyle saw a poor penalty saved by Paul Robinson, Stephen Ward won it with an absolute screamer to set McCarthy’s men off to a flyer.

It was Wolves’ first win at Ewood Park in 19 years and the boss could not hide his delight.

“That’s one down and only 37 to go but it was a good performance,” he said. “It wasn’t that we were lucky at all, we deserved to win, so that’s pleasing.

“Doyle was getting heaps of abuse fro the lads for the way he took the penalty but in a bizarre sort of a way, the fact that Wardy scored gave him (Doyle) a whole lot of kudos with our fans.

“And I am delighted because he is just terrific.

“They all put a shift in. I can’t ask for anything more from the players.

“I was going to take Fletcher off at the end because he had put an unbelievable shift in, but (Stephen) Hunt really has got copper-top batteries in him, he just keeps going and going and going and he had to come off.

“It was a hard game, a tough game, but the first game of the season always is.”

After an open first half Wolves rarely gave Rovers a sniff after getting their noses in front just two minutes after the re-start. That was partly due to a colossal display from £4.5 million new boy Roger Johnson who battled through cramp late on to preserve the victory.