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Cardiff City 2-2 Wolves – Full Report
By JOEL REED
Joleon Lescott’s last-minute goal wiped the smile off the face of his former manager Dave Jones, as Wolverhampton Wanderers showed amazing resilience to come back from two goals down to steal a point from Cardiff City at the death.
Cardiff City boss Jones, who spent a three-and-a-half year managerial stint at Molineux, guiding Wolves in to the Premiership back in May 2003, before he was dramatically sacked in November last year following a poor start to the season, was sitting pretty with a two goal advantage provided by Bluebirds striker Cameron Jerome, 17 minutes from the end of this contest against his former employers.
But ecstasy soon turned to enragement for Jones, who watched on as Cardiff, who he joined last May, threw away their priceless lead, as Wolves striker Leon Clarke celebrated the new three-year-deal he penned for the club yesterday with a goal mid-way through the second half to halve the deficit, before Lescott broke the Ninian Park faithful’s hearts with a last-ditch strike to complete a sensational u-turn by the Molineux men.
19-year-old Cardiff City forward Cameron Jerome handed his struggling side the lead with three minutes played, glancing his header past Wolves goalkeeper Michael Oakes from a Kevin Cooper cross.
Jerome completed his brace four minutes in to the second half, to take his goal tally this season to five, when he hit a firm right-footed drive past Oakes from 16 yards with the aid of a faint deflection.
But Wolves showed passion and resolve and it paid off as Clarke’s tidy finish after 73 minutes gave his side a renewed hope, before centre-back Lescott became the unlikeliest of heroes, stabbing home Jackie McNamara’s inch-perfect long-throw deep in to injury-time.
Wolves manager Glenn Hoddle recalled striker Carl Cort and midfielder Rohan Ricketts back to his side after resting both players in the club’s 5-1 mid-week Carling Cup first round victory over Chester City and striker George Ndah began his first Wolves match in over two years following his recent recovery from chronic hamstring problems.
Wolves goalkeeper Michael Oakes, who also missed the City clash last Tuesday night with a shoulder injury, passed a very late fitness test, but left-back Lee Naylor, could only muster a place on the substitute’s bench following his stomach muscle complaints – he was replaced in defence by stand-in skipper Mark Kennedy.
Jerome, who began only his sixth game of his Cardiff City career following his move across the Welsh border from Premiership side Middlesbrough, struck a goal with only three minutes played at Ninian Park, doing well to rise and meet former Wolves winger Kevin Cooper’s corner with his head to guide the ball past a diving Oakes.
Wolves immediately dusted themselves down and professionally began a sustained 10 minute period of dominant possession, but they lacked strength and invention in the final third of the pitch and failed to engineer any shot on goal.
Jerome, a thorn in the side of Wolves all afternoon, could have put his side two clear in the 11th minute; he turned Wolves right-back Jackie McNamara on the left-flank, before accelerating towards the penalty-area, where he hit a powerful curling left-footed effort that Oakes just managed to push around his near post for a corner.
The pendulum of command began swinging in the home side’s favour, and former West Bromwich Albion winger Jason Koumas came close to scoring against his old rivals several minutes later, guiding his left-footed strike just wide of Oakes’ goal.
Jerome, strutting his way around the pitch following his great start to the match, was peppering the Wolves goal from all angles and distances; the forward tried an audacious 35 yard shot, which stung the gloves of Oakes, who needed two opportunities the gather the loose ball.
Former England international midfielder Darren Anderton, who scored a superb free-kick on his Wolves debut last Tuesday, managed Wolves’ first goal scoring chance when he tested Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander in the opening few minutes of the second half, before Alexander denied Kenny Miller, George Ndah and Anderton for the second time in quick succession to keep his side in the lead.
Hoddle sacrificed Scottish international striker Kenny Miller for 19-year-old academy hit-man Leon Clarke shortly before the hour-mark and the youngster soon made an immediate impact on the proceedings.
Five minutes after his introduction Clarke hit a fierce drive at Alexander, who did superbly to parry the ball away to safety, but Clarke would beat the keeper with his next chance, which came nine minutes later.
Carl Cort thumped a shot which took a deflection off a Cardiff defender, landing at the feet of Clarke eight yards out, the forward drilled a neat shot, from the tightest of angles past Alexander, to begin the sensational comeback.
Man of the match Jerome could have hit his hat trick in the final stages of the game, but Wolves counter attacked and scored down the other end of the pitch.
McNamara took a long-throw-in which fell kindly to the feet of defender Joleon Lescott poised in the Cardiff penalty area; he volleyed confidently past Alexander to steal the headlines and earn his side a point, which in the end meant the bragging rights where shared between Jones and Hoddle.
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