Gary O’Neil’s trusted allies and Jose Sa frustration – Wolves moments missed vs Bournemouth.
Wolves celebrate Matheus Cunha’s equaliser
Wolves earned another vital three points in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over AFC Bournemouth.
Speaking to a small group of Bournemouth supporters heading to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, it seemed the return of Gary O’Neil was always going to end one way. Victory for Wolves.
The Old Gold made the 146-mile trip south full of confidence after a surprise win over champions Manchester City and a draw with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa before the international break. And despite being without Nelson Semedo and Mario Lemina due to suspension, Wolves never looked like dropping points.
Sasa Kalajdzic’s 88th minute winner was the second time this season that Wolves have benefitted from the Austrian coming off the bench and clinching a vital winner. As the travelling Wanderers witnessed yesterday, things are starting to click for O’Neil’s side and the future looks bright.
And once referee Paul Tierney blew the final whistle just before 5pm, celebrations echoed from the East Stand as Wolves moved seven points clear of the Premier League bottom three. So, with that said, birminghamlive brings you some of the moments you may have missed from the win at Bournemouth…
Muted celebrations
When Kalajdzic stabbed home Wolves’ winner, everyone associated with Wolves was ecstatic.. The travelling pack went up in ruptures and the dugout was a scene to behold – the game plan had worked. But one man who remained calm throughout was O’Neil.
The Wolves head coach had been a vocal figure on the touchline all afternoon, barking tactical information in short bursts and encouraging his players. However, when his substitute netted the winner against his former team, he remained focused.
O’Neil was mobbed by his coaching staff on the touchline whilst Hwang Hee-chan ran over to the bench to celebrate with Toti Gomes. The 40-year-old’s focus was on ensuring the hosts didn’t snatch a point and immediately started demanding focus from his players.
Sasa Kalajdzic was the matchwinner once again for Wolves against Bournemouth.
Following Lemina’s red card against Aston Villa, O’Neil handed a place in the starting XI to Boubacar Traore for the first time in the Premier League this season. Unfortunately for the Mali international, he struggled to adjust to the demand.
Solanke’s opener came from the Wolves’ midfielders being bypassed far too easily and Jose Sa did not shy away from letting his frustrations known. In the midst of the celebrations, the goalkeeper was seen sharing words with the 22-year-old.
The replay of the goal shows Traore on the halfway line when Philip Billing laid the ball off to David Brooks. By the time Solanke had scored, the midfielder was told about his wrongdoings. Fortunately, he recovered well to help Wolves turn the game around.
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There were often moments when O’Neil would call for cool heads from his experienced figures on the pitch. And when Hwang Hee-chan was involved in a bust-up with Lewis Cook on the other side of the pitch, he needed them more than ever.
Whilst Hwang was down on the floor, players from both sides were drawn to the action and O’Neil instantly urged Matt Doherty to dart across the pitch to cool the situation down – which he did.
Bournemouth players continued to protest and O’Neil once again barked his orders to Sa to get his teammates’ head in the right place. It certainly worked.
