Absolutely fabulous!

Last updated : 18 January 2004 By Dave Burgess

Well if that didn’t make you love the game of football even more then nothing ever will.

An amazing, unlikely victory is ours against the league leaders and reigning Premiership champions.


The scenes of delight around the ground, when in the three minutes of added time, raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The south bank was delirious, you’d have thought we’d actually won the game, the season had ended and we were safe from relegation in 17th.


The taunts of “Can we play you every week” were obviously tongue in cheek but such a sensational victory made people lose their perspective.


It wasn’t a great game, United were poor but who cares – we got three invaluable points from a fixture where none seemed likely. Even the radio kept repeating the scoreline as if to alert listeners to the fact it wasn’t April Fool’s day.


Kenny Miller’s composed finish, when Wes Brown had slipped on a wet pitch, was the dream come true.


Alex Rae played the game of his life for Wolves. He was just truly awesome, just as he’s been all through the season. Every player on the pitch was a hero, Oakesy, despite his reluctance with crosses, proved what a great shot stopper he was. When we took the lead, all outfield players went into overdrive to protect the lead. Incey was fantastic; it would have been too much if he’s curled shot had gone the other side of Howard’s post.


Although in the first half I was thinking a 0-0 was on the cards, it did seem like a question of time before United scored. They had so much possession on the right hand side that Naylor was left trying to contain three United players at once. Fortunately, the delivery was poor and no real chances were created.


United apparently had record possession in the first half according to the stats but they couldn’t make it tell. In the second half they went all out for an equaliser, bringing on both strikers, but they still couldn’t get through the massed defence and past Oakesy.


When Miller scored, in the North Bank, where I sit, the ground almost caved in. Everyone just hugged each other in disbelief, a true moment to savour, just like when Naylor scored against
Reading in the play-off semi-final last season.


It finally made all the negativity lift, this was what we came to the Premiership to try to achieve. There’s still a long way to go but this is one in the eye for all those pundits who had already said we were relegated when the mathematics of the situation make such statements ludicrous.


We now have to recover our composure for another massive game against
Liverpool on Wednesday. Losing at Spurs yesterday illustrates they are still miss-firing and they will be a lot more cautious coming to the Molineux now.


Three more points would be dreamland.


It won’t be as easy but we’re tantalisingly close to a clutch of teams that are underperforming by their own expectations.


As for me, well living in
Manchester and going out with a load of United fans last night, just capped a fantastic day all round.


I’m sure it was likewise for all Wolves fans.


Come on the Wolves!


E-mail me with any comments to dave@wolves-mad.co.uk