A second-half strike from Fer Lopez was enough to hand Wolverhampton Wanderers victory over West Bromwich Albion in a fiercely contested Black Country derby at Molineux, the first meeting between the two West Midlands rivals at the ground in 14 years.
Lopez punishes a costly mistake
Lopez struck just after the hour mark, capitalising on a defensive error from Nat Phillips, who played the ball straight into the path of the Wolves forward. Lopez made no mistake, finishing calmly for his fifth goal of the season and settling what had been a tense, tightly fought derby.
It was a fully deserved victory for Wolves on a day when Albion rarely threatened going forward, with goalkeeper Max O’Leary the standout performer for the visitors and the only reason the scoreline stayed as close as it did for as long as it did.
O’Leary keeps Albion in it before the break
Wolves dominated for long spells of the first half, with forward Mateus Mane a constant threat down the flank, but O’Leary produced a string of outstanding saves to keep his side in contention. His first big intervention came in the 11th minute, tipping over a header from Wolves defender Nasser Djiga in spectacular fashion.
Moments later, returning right-back Kieran Trippier, back from a knee injury, whipped in a dangerous cross that Marshall Munetsi headed goalward, only for the effort to be blocked. The loose ball fell to Djiga, but O’Leary reacted quickly to tip his follow-up effort onto the underside of the crossbar.
Mane continued to cause problems and won a booking for Jayson Molumby after being brought down, before testing O’Leary again with an angled effort that was well saved at his near post. The Albion goalkeeper then produced perhaps his finest save of the afternoon, somehow changing direction to keep out a close-range header from Munetsi that appeared destined for the net.
Albion switch off after the restart
Wolves continued to push for a breakthrough and thought they had one shortly before half-time when Mane teed up a chance for Lopez, who could only sky his effort wide from a promising position. The opener eventually arrived early in the second half when Albion lost their concentration while attempting to play out from the back, allowing Lopez to nip in after Phillips’ misplaced pass and clip a finish over O’Leary from close range.
Wolves almost doubled their advantage soon after when Mane’s cross picked out Adam Armstrong, whose effort was charged down. With the lead secured, Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto opted to withdraw both Mane and Lopez, and his side comfortably managed the closing stages without further alarm.
Late scare in stoppage time
There was a nervy moment deep into stoppage time when Wolves captain Toti Gomes collided heavily with goalkeeper Jose Sa as both attempted to clear a cross. Toti was left on the ground momentarily as Albion pushed for a late leveller, but the Wolves skipper was able to continue and his side held on to seal a hard-fought win in front of a passionate 30,000 crowd at Molineux.
It capped a positive afternoon for Peixoto, who led the celebrations at full time in his first season in charge of the club, securing local bragging rights in a fixture that had not been played at this venue for well over a decade.
Quick Facts
- Fer Lopez’s second-half strike was his fifth goal of the season.
- It was the first Black Country derby meeting at Molineux in 14 years.
- West Brom goalkeeper Max O’Leary made three outstanding saves to keep the score close.
- Nat Phillips’ misplaced pass led directly to the only goal of the match.
- Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto secured the win in his first season at the club.
- The match was played in front of a 30,000 crowd at Molineux.
Fans across Kenya and the wider East Africa region can continue to follow all the latest Championship action live on DStv SuperSport as the promotion and playoff races continue to take shape this season.
