Hitting Back Spectacularly, Again And Again

We did have it in mind to post a story around now of a ‘Great Escape’ theme to underline the point that all was not lost after Wolves’ largely fruitless first quarter of the season.

But two wins, six points and a goal-difference swing of plus five have dramatically changed the landscape for the better.

So, with the side’s emergence from the bottom three and the resultant soaring of Molineux spirits, we have decided to change tack and home in instead on spectacular victories of the genre of Saturday’s triumph at Fulham.

We’re talking either big away wins or at least highly important ones, achieved from falling behind and against the odds.

There will be others our readers can recall…..these are just a few memorable days on the road:

February 25, 1967: Portsmouth 2 Wolves 3 A gloomy South Coast afternoon was lit up by three lateish goals after Ronnie Allen’s men trailed 2-0. As seen on that night’s Match of the Day, Mike Bailey, Peter Knowles and Ernie Hunt scored, Knowles mischievously kicking the ball out of the ground in celebration – and later being sent a bill for £5.

September, 1979: Everton 2 Wolves 3 Andy Gray made a winning debut after his British transfer record move from Villa and it was he who wiped out the half-time lead held by the club he would join from Molineux in 1983. Peter Daniel put Wolves ahead from a penalty and John Richards struck a third to get the new era off to a thrilling start.

November 7, 1998: Bristol City 1 Wolves 6 Three little piggies, four David Connolly goals, half a dozen for Wolves – what a first game in charge this was for Colin Lee following the dismissal of Mark McGhee. And it all came about after a Bristol side containing Ade Akinbiyi had struck first. Guy Whittingham and Carl Robinson netted the victors’ first and last goals, with the previously unproductive Connolly hitting the four in between.

April 13, 2009: Derby 2 Wolves 3 This was the Bank Holiday win that set up the promotion clincher against QPR five days later. Mick McCarthy described Wolves’ performance as ‘awful’ but Andy Keogh scored the game’s first and last goals and celebrated extravagantly, Matt Jarvis having equalised after Nigel Clough’s men had nosed 2-1 ahead.

December 30, 2017: Bristol City 1 Wolves 2 Ashton Gate staged more high drama as champions-elect Wolves won from a goal down and man down. Danny Batth was sent off after 14 minutes but his prompt replacement, Ryan Bennett, headed a last-minute winner after Barry Douglas’s free-kick leveller, the hosts having keeper Frank Fielding dismissed just after the hour.  

January 18, 2020: Southampton 2 Wolves 3 Raul Jimenez was the two-goal hero as Nuno’s side hit back from two down at the break against in-form hosts. He levelled from a penalty after teenager Pedro Neto reduced the deficit and struck the winner 14 minutes from time in a season in which the club were also flying in Europe.  

October 16, 2021: Villa 2 Wolves 3 Can’t think why the travelling fans loved this one so much! Three goals in the last ten minutes turned the derby on its head, Ruben Neves’s deflected free-kick deep in stoppage time sparking joyous scenes after Romain Saiss and Conor Coady had cancelled out the home side’s 2-0 lead. Just unforgettable!

February 11, 2023: Southampton 1 Wolves 2 An unlikely salvage act from the highly unpromising position of being both a goal down and a man light following Mario Lemina’s first-half sending-off. Julen Lopetegui’s side still trailed into the last 20 minutes but an own goal and a Joao Gomes winner on his debut made it a happy afternoon.

February 4, 2024: Chelsea 2 Wolves 4 How similar was this to two days ago? A few tube stops away from Fulham, Stamford Bridge was the setting for another Cunha super-show, the brilliant Brazilian hitting a hat-trick after Cole Palmer’s opener at the other end to open up a 4-1 lead before a late, insignificant second concession.