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Wolves 3-1 QPR – Full Report
By JOEL REED at Molineux
Wolverhampton Wanderers cruised to sixth in the Coca-Cola Championship in devastating fashion last night after striker Carl Cort’s clinical finishing helped him to his first hat trick in six years to sweep aside a lacklustre QPR outfit 3-1 at a humid Molineux.
Cort, a £2 million acquisition by Wolves from Premiership side Newcastle United back in January 2004, impressively found the back of the net on three occasions to take his goal tally to four for the season, with the perfect reply to his manager Glenn Hoddle’s fiery criticism aimed at him and strike partner Kenny Miller last weekend.
Former England coach Hoddle blasted his two forwards for their goal-shy start to the season following the Molineux club’s fortunate 2-2 draw with Cardiff City at Ninian Park last Saturday.
But Cort yesterday stood up to the plate and fired on all cylinders to answer his manager’s distress call, as Wolves secured their seventh straight home victory to ascend in to the league’s top-six and keep in touching distance of Championship pace setters Luton, Reading and Sheffield United.
Speaking after the game Hoddle said: "We've been playing like that all season but tonight we have got three goals to show for it. We looked very slick.
"Carl is a smashing lad and I'm delighted to see him get a hat-trick.
"I rested him against Chester and that perhaps gave him the extra bit of energy he needed."
Wolves striker Leon Clarke mis-kicked his shot on goal and the loose ball was controlled expertly from Cort, 16 yards out, before he hit a neat shot past Rangers keeper Simon Royce to put his team in the driving seat after seven minutes.
But against the run of play QPR found an immediate reply four minutes later, when Stefan Moore found space out on the left flank to cross for Kevin Gallen, who out-muscled Lee Naylor to leap and nod past Michael Oakes.
Cort completed his brace on 24 minutes, prodding home a top-draw cross across the QPR six-yard box from his partner Kenny Miller, before he latched on to a defence splitting pass from Rohan Ricketts, where he coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Royce to complete his treble and secure all three points at the death.
Wolves began the match with some exciting periods of attacking play and they could have taken the lead in this contest six minutes in.
Rohan Ricketts found room on the edge of the QPR penalty-area, he dragged the ball to the right, before he unleashed a powerful low-drive to the left and Royce did superbly to get down quickly and avert the danger around his near post.
Ricketts was key in the breakthrough which came only a minute later; Cort nodded down Lee Naylor’s deep cross in to the penalty-area to Ricketts who let-fly with a powerful shot which Royce palmed away, Ricketts managed to retrieve the loose ball, turned and crossed to Leon Clarke whose fluffed volley fell to Cort, who controlled the ball on his chest before firing a neat half-volley which was helped in to the goal by Royce’s fingertips.
But QPR then found a reply to their host’s impressive start, when Kevin Gallen scored a well-worked equaliser from his side’s first attack of the game on 11 minutes.
Stefan Moore controlled a long ball from his defence and charged down the left wing, he was forced to the by-line by Wolves right-back Jackie McNamara, but Moore managed to execute a looping cross, which was met by Gallen, who managed to out jump Naylor to head the ball in to the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Following his error Naylor was once again almost caught out by Rangers hit-man Paul Furlong, when instead of closing down the advancing player, the defender backed off to allow the striker a shot on goal, which flew harmlessly at Oakes.
A minute later Wolves deservedly regained their advantage when Cort turned in his second goal of the game.
Scottish international striker Kenny Miller darted down the left wing before he dropped the shoulder to direct his run inwards, then outwards to charge past a bewildered QPR defender, he then ran to the by-line before striking a powerful low drive across the six yard box, which was turned in easily by Cort who ghosted in.
After going in to the interval full of confidence after both Clarke and Ricketts had gone close to adding to the goal tally, Wolves remerged for the second half and made a timid start. But QPR, lacking in attacking ideas, failed to capitalise on this period of uncertainty and it was Wolves who should have doubled their cushion.
Miller, now causing the QPR defence all sorts of problems with his direct running, charged down the right flank before curling in a cross for Cort, who was awaiting in the Rangers box in a clearly offside position.
But a communication mix-up between Royce and centre-back Dan Shittu, led to the burly defender going to ground to clear the danger, but instead he comically turned the ball past his own keeper.
Cort, who had not had a chance to interfere with play, ran towards Miller to congratulate him on his efforts, but the linesman on the far side wrongly raised his flag and the goal was chalked off and Shittu’s blushes were saved.
Miller had two chances to seal the victory but Royce doggedly denied the striker with two good saves, before Cort completed his hat trick in the 91st minute, following a clever pass from Ricketts.
Ricketts picked out Cort, who was being played onside by Shittu, and the striker was presented with a one-on-one opportunity with Royce; Cort picked his spot before sliding the ball past the keeper in to the bottom left hand corner of the goal to keep his side’s promotion campaign on course.
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