Wolves climbed two places up the First Division table to seventh with a
hard-fought victory over relegation-threatened Port Vale at Molineux.
But Colin Lee's side were anything but impressive as they moved to within a
point of sixth-placed Watford in the scramble for a play-off place.
Wolves struck after only three minutes and wrapped up the points a minute from
time but, for long spells in between, they were hesitant and unconvincing.
Their breakthrough came from midfielder Paul Simpson, who was recalled for his
first Wolves start of the season after recently turning down the chance of a
loan move to Port Vale.
Simpson appeared unmarked beyond the far post to drive a left-foot shot in off
the foot of the far post after Norwegian striker Havard Flo had allowed a deep
cross from Mark Atkins to bounce across the area.
As in their previous two games, though, Wolves quickly allowed opponents to
level, Dean Richards gifting possession to Allen Tankard and midfielder Ian
Bogie beating Mike Stowell with a left foot 25-yard shot that the keeper should
have kept out.
Wolves had the better of the first half and might have been back in front
before Robbie Keane, their star asset, slid a right-foot shot past the advancing
Paul Musselwhite from Steve Sedgley's through-ball.
It was one of a number of clear openings in a match that went decidedly
downhill in the second half as Vale had plenty of the ball without looking
capable of doing anything with it.
There was hardly a shot or header worthy of the name at either end following
the interval until a misplaced header by Vale defender Anthony Gardner forced
keeper Musselwhite to tip over his bar.
Musselwhite then took the ball smartly off the feet of Wolves substitute David
Connolly but had no chance when Wolves skipper Keith Curle - recently linked
with the manager's job at Vale before Brian Horton succeeded John Rudge - scored
with a penalty in off the post after Gardner had brought down Keane in the area
and become one of five Vale players to be booked.
Teams:
Wolverhampton: Stowell, Atkins (Naylor 88), Muscat, Sedgley,
Richards, Curle, Simpson, Robinson (Emblen 69),Flo (Connolly 69), Keane, Osborn.
Goals: Simpson 2, Keane 32, Curle 89 pen.
Port Vale: Musselwhite, Beesley (Koordes 81), Tankard, Bogie,
Aspin, Gardner, Burns (Barker 37), Beadle (Rougier 58), Bent,Foyle, Russell.
Booked: Gardner, Tankard, Beadle, Rougier, Bent.
Goals: Bogie 4.
Att: 20,952
Ref: M Messias (York).
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