It was windy, it was wet, it
was cold. So, imagine how the Wolves Fans felt whilst sat in the
uncovered end at Potsmouth`s pathetic ground. Luckily, two solid debuts
from the new boys kept Pompey at bay, earning Wolves a deserved point.
Wolves Manager Dave Jones gave £2M
new signing Carl Cort his first start for Wolves and also gave Paul Jones
his second Wolves debut. Vio Ganea was replaced by Cort and an unhappy
Michael Oakes was replaced by Paul Jones, but Oakes was right to be
unhappy.
Michael Oakes as arguably been
playing his best football of his career, so it will have come as a
shattering blow when Dave Jones named him on the substitutes bench.
“I’ve got an unhappy
goalkeeper in the club, which is understandable, I didn’t expect him to
take it well, but Oakes is a professional. He’s fought for his place
before and he’ll have to do it again." Said Dave Jones
“It
was always going to be a difficult decision but that’s why I sit in the
hot seat. I made the decision and I’ll stand or fall by it.”
Despite
it being an unpopular decision with Michael Oakes, it was probably the
correct one. Jones pulled off several superb saves to deny Pompey and made
a sound debut, despite his kicking at times leaving a lot to be desired.
Carl
Cort had Wolves two best opportunities, but he could not convert a Colin
Cameron cross on target in the first half. His downward header was just
wide of the near post and later he was unable to get a shot on target when
well placed on the edge of the area.
Wolves
failed to trouble Portsmouth much in the second half, with only Colin
Cameron having a few snap-shots which were in the whole comfortable for
Hislop in the Pompey goal.
Lee
Naylor, who was sound at the back all game deflected a clearance towards
goal in the last minute however his blushes were spared as the ball hit
the post and bounced to safety.
PORTSMOUTH
0-0 WOLVES
Source: Birmingham
Post
