Wolverhampton Wanderers had to stretch for their win against Mick McCarthy’s solid and well-drilled Ipswich Town as the Wolves maintain their impressive lead at the top of the table.
Portuguese star Ivan Cavaleiro’s wonder goal proved to be the difference in an otherwise very competitive match between two of the most exciting clubs in the Championship this season. In fact, Cavaleiro’s first-half strike earned Wolves their first victory in 14 outings against their former boss in Mick McCarthy.
However, the league leaders were far from impressive as they had to fight until the end to sustain their fragile one-goal lead till the final whistle. Here are the Wolves players rated and slated in their win over Ipswich Town.
John Ruddy (7.5/10):
Was a spectator for the most part of the game until his brilliant save in the stoppage time where he palmed away a teasing cross to keep the lead intact.
Matt Doherty (7.5/10):
A very disciplined performance from the Irish defender. Even though he lacked surging runs into the opposition channels, his composure and temperament played a key part in Wolves’ edgy win over Ipswich.
Ryan Bennett (8/10):
His physicality and aerial prowess was a real bonus for the Wolverhampton defence as the 27-year-old coolly defended the attacking threat of Ipswich.
Conor Coady (7.5/10):
An ever-reliable presence in the defensive department, Coady’s role as sweeper helped the likes of Ryan Bennett and Willy Boly to be more aggressive in the pressing phases.
Willy Boly (8.5/10):
A beast in defence, Boly’s excellent performance on the day made sure that Wolves keep their lead throughout the ninety minutes. His performance is clearly depicted in his remarkable statistic of nine aerial duels won against Ipswich.
Barry Douglas (7.5/10):
A decent outing for the English defender, who returned from injury to take his place in the starting lineup. The 28-year-old showed impressive all-around qualities to emerge on both offensive and defensive front.
Romain Saiss (7/10):
Struggled at times to keep up with the dynamic midfield of Ipswich Town, which caused a lot of trouble for the Wolves midfield. However, he was impressive in his overall passing and distribution.
Ruben Neves (7/10):
Wasn’t quite influential, contrary to what you would normally expect from the stunning Portuguese talent. He was largely restricted due to the very disciplined pressing unit of Ipswich Town.
Ivan Cavaleiro (9/10):
His moment of pure magic snatched all three points for Wolves, who looked rusty throughout the game. The Portuguese sensation stepped up to the plate when his team needed the most.
Diogo Jota (7/10):
Didn’t seem to be at his best against a sturdy defence of Ipswich as the winger completely failed to make a huge impact in the game.
Leo Bonatini (6.5/10):
It clearly wasn’t the day for the striker who failed to strike his dominance onto the proceedings. He struggled to carve out any chances for himself and looked rusty with his poor touches.
Substitutes
Bright Enobakhare (7/10):
Came on for Diogo Jota, who looked out of sorts against the Ipswich defence. The young attacker had a great opportunity the double his team’s tally but he fluffed his effort.
Helder Costa (8/10):
Played very well after replacing Bonatini in the 77th minute. His dynamism helped Wolves stretch a tiring defence for the final phase of the game.
Alfred N’Diaye (NA):
Was subbed on for Ivan Cavaleiro to help see out the game at the death.
