McKenna bottled the challenge, says Hoddle

By Scott Cooper
October 22 2005

WOLVES boss Glenn Hoddle accused Preston North End's Paul McKenna of "bottling" a challenge in which Vio Ganea was given his marching orders.

Ganea scored his first league goal of the season for Wolves on his first league start for 18 months today, but just ten minutes later was sent to the dressing room after a second yellow card.

  "Vio scored a wonderful goal but then went over the top with his celebration," said Glenn Hoddle after the game.

  "I have some sympathy given that he has been out for so long and was so pleased to score - but the ref isn't going to know that. Vio knows the rules and celebrating like that is unacceptable."

However Ganea then went to ground to tackle Preston's Paul McKenna in a challenge which also involved Wolves' defender Rob Edwards. Referee T Kettle believed it was Ganea who made the most contact, but the Wolves boss believes the North End star "bottled" the challenge.

"Having looked at the video, if the challenge warranted a yellow card then Rob Edwards should have been booked as well. The lad bottled it and jumped out of the tackle."

  "The sending off came at the worst possible time because at 1-1 the crowd were behind us, we were lifted and I believed that at 11 v 11 we would have gone on to win.

  "We deserved to be one down at half-time but I told them during the break that they could lie down and die or they could come back and fight. They took on board what I said and we played well to get back in it.

  "There is a home win coming just round the corner and when we get that we've got to make sure we then go on a run."

Hoddle also confirmed that the absence of Carl Cort was down to the striker having a swollen knee.