Showing posts with label Kevin Doyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Doyle. Show all posts
Manchester United suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season in a shock 2-1 loss at bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In a top versus bottom clash that all but the most optimistic Wolves fan assumed would be a United walkover, two goals from George Elokobi - although Kevin Doyle will try to claim the second - overcame Nani’s opener as the champions struggled to create opportunities against their stubborn hosts.
Defender Elokobi had never scored in the Premier League before but it was United who were bereft of ideas as they lost their first league game at the 25th time of asking.
Despite the result Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are four points clear of second-placed Arsenal after the Gunners threw away a four-goal lead at Newcastle, while Wolves stay at the bottom following Wigan’s win, behind West Ham only on goals scored.
United had a fabulous start when, on three minutes, Nani scored a trademark goal, cutting inside from the right and - with everyone expecting the cross - firing a wicked drive inside Wayne Hennessey’s exposed near post.
Wayne Rooney should have made it 2-0 soon afterwards but fired straight at Hennessey after excellent hold-up play from Dimitar Berbatov. After that, though, United’s performance was nothing short of abject as they barely created a meaningful opportunity.
Wolves levelled on 10 minutes as United fell asleep at a quick corner routine, Elokobi flicking an excellent header into the bottom right with the visiting defence all over the place.
Down the other end Christophe Berra was granted a reprieve by 25-year-old referee Michael Oliver when he appeared to block Nemanja Vidic as he arrived to meet a corner.
That was on the quarter hour and, for the rest of the half, it was all Wolves, with Jamie O’Hara testing Edwin van der Sar at the near post and a superb Nenad Milijas free-kick deflected just wide with the soon-to-retire Dutch keeper stranded.
The cultured left boot of Serbia midfielder Milijas had a huge say in Wolves’ second goal five minutes before the break, which came about from his wonderful inswinging free-kick from the right, flat and almost impossible to defend as both Elokobi and Doyle claimed the goal.
Doyle stooped into a header but it appeared to strike the shoulder of the Cameroonian full-back: it was impossible to tell but Elokobi mock harassed the Irishman into letting him have the goal.
Nani headed one over just before the break, although with his lack of aerial ability it was generous to afford it half-chance status, and United were sent out early for the second half as Ferguson opted for the low-level humiliation that worked at Blackpool.
There was no such joy this time though as United, for all their possession, never really tested Hennessey in the second 45 minutes.
Just before the hour mark half-time substitute Paul Scholes slid a Rafael cross well wide, while Berra blocked Rooney’s effort after his keeper failed to claim a routine cross.
Late on Patrice Evra had a penalty shout correctly rejected when he fired a cross against the arm of Ronald Zubar from point-blank range as United huffed and puffed through the latter stages, which included a generous five minutes of injury time awarded by Oliver.
To say Wolves held out would be flattering - they merely had to remain solid - as United’s poor away record threw the title race back open.
Stoke City and Wolverhampton Wanderers played out an eventful 0-0 draw at Molineux which leaves Wolves not yet safe from relegation to the Championship.
Neither side threatened in a drab first half but Kevin Foley nearly grabbed all three points for Wolves when his left-footed volley two minutes from time sailed inches wide.
Stoke were the quicker side to settle and dominated for long periods of the first half with only Mamady Sidibe's header from six yards to show for it.
The second period was a different affair with Wolves a real threat going forward; but it was the visitors who should have taken the lead.
Matthew Etherington's cross from the left missed everyone in the goal area and fell to Sidibe six yards out. The striker took an almighty swing at the right-footed volley and blazed over the crossbar.
With time running out Mick McCarthy's men looked like they might nick the victory. Chris Iwelumo did wonderfully well to chest a long ball into the path of Foley and the midfielder took a touch before firing a left-footed effort inches wide of the far post with Thomas Sorensen rooted to the spot.
It is a result that suits Stoke more than Wolves, who sit just six points above the Premier League relegation zone with four games to play.
Wolverhampton Wanderers pulled seven points clear of the Premier League drop zone after a 3-1 win at West Ham, who barely raised a whimper in a relegation six-pointer.
Goals from Kevin Doyle, Ronald Zubar and Matt Jarvis gave Mick McCarthy's men as straightforward a win as they have had all season, with West Ham as poor as Wolves were competent.
Doyle, Jarvis and midfielder David Jones were in fine form for the Midlanders, whose defence was tightly-organised and well-protected by the impressive Michael Mancienne.
For the Hammers only Scott Parker accepted any responsibility, with Guillermo Franco impressive when he came on as a late sub to test Marcus Hahnemann and score an injury-time consolation.
West Ham's main problem lay in a back four that was nothing short of shambolic.
Matthew Upson and James Tomkins barely completed a clearance between them, bullied by the shorter yet aerially superior Doyle, and it was a shocking error from Tomkins that gave the visitors a 28th-minute lead.
A straightforward long ball should have been meat and drink for the 20-year-old but he let it run across him before hugely under-hitting an attempted back-pass. Doyle needed no invitation and raced on to the loose ball, holding off Tomkins's challenge and rifling a low drive across Robert Green and in off the far post.
Kevin Foley had already hit the underside of the bar with a splendid effort after Doyle beat Upson to a flick-on and, after the opener, Radoslav Kovac was fortunate not to give away a penalty when he kicked David Jones's calf in the box.
Wolves were turning it on, Green forced to palm Jones's low strike behind after a lovely passing move that showed guile and patience as well as muscle.
West Ham did have one chance at the end of the first half, but luck was not on their side when Parker surged forward to play a low curler off the inside of the post.
Zola rang the changes at half-time, with Junior Stanislas brought on for the increasingly pointless Kovac and - seemingly suffering from his earlier howler - Tomkins replaced by Jonathan Spector.
It did not help as two goals in three minutes around the hour mark put the match out of sight for the hosts.
The first was a wonderful individual effort from French full-back Zubar, who rifled Jones's pass inside the far post from a tight angle, with the shot flying at such pace Green was barely able to get down in time to see it whistle in.
The second was a great team goal, with Jarvis placing a low shot inside the right-hand post after a sweet touch to play Jones's through-ball between Upson and Spector.
With half an hour remaining, West Ham's fans started leaving in their droves and, save for a late consolation for Franco - who also forced a smart stop from Hahnemann just after coming on - they missed little.
West Ham gave up the ghost as weakly as they did against a 10-man Arsenal at the weekend, leaving them three points above third-bottom Burnley, but with 19th-placed Hull City having a game in hand on the same total.
Wolves, meanwhile, rise to 15th, seven points clear with seven matches remaining.
