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Championship
Dec 15, 2017 at 7.45pm UK
 
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Fox (85')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Neves (34')

Live Commentary: Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's coverage as Wolverhampton Wanderers earn a slender 1-0 victory over hosts Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the Championship.
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Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers took on Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening looking to get back to winning ways following the club's draw against Sunderland last weekend.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side were able to do just that at Hillsborough, as a solitary strike from Ruben Neves ensured that Wolves came away from Hillsborough with all three points in order to move seven points clear at the top of the table.

Relive all of the action with our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Good evening everyone and thank you for joining us as we bring you live coverage as Wolverhampton Wanderers make the trip to face Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves side will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways away from home tonight, following the disappointing draw against Sunderland at the weekend. Prior to that match, the league leaders had won six games in a row to firmly cement themselves as favourites to return to the Premier League next campaign.

Should the visitors secure victory tonight, Wolves will move beyond 50 points after just 22 games. The last club to achieve that record were Wolves themselves when they secured promotion during the 2008-2009 campaign.

As for Wednesday, despite some promising seasons under Carlos Carvalhal this campaign has so far been one to forget given that the club are languishing in 15th spot in the table.

Coming into this clash, Wolves have now won three away games in a row without shipping any goals. The club has never won four on the bounce without conceding throughout its entire history.

Right, time for some team news now...

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY STARTING XI: Wildsmith; Palmer, Loovens, van Aken, Fox, Wallace, Butterfield, Jones, Reach, Rhodes, Hooper

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY SUBSTITUTES: Nuhiu, Lucas Joao, Matias, Kean, Pudil, Abdi, Ferrao Venancio

WOLVES STARTING XI: Ruddy; Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Neves, Saiss, Vinagre, Cavaleiro, Bonatini, Jota

WOLVES SUBSTITUTES: N'Diaye, Batth, Costa, Gibbs-White, Miranda, Enobakhare, Norris

So the major news for the visitors is that Romain Saiss retains his place in a three-man midfield despite Alfred N'Diaye featuring during the draw against Sunderland. As expected, Nuno continues with his potent strike force of Diogo Jota, Leo Bonatini and Ivan Cavaleiro who have 27 league goals between this this campaign.

The big miss for Wednesday this evening will be that of keeper Keiren Westwood who is covered by youngster Joe Wildsmith. Both Jack Hunt and Steven Fletcher remain out, as does defender Tom Lees who is out after having surgery on a groin issue.

The statistics do not look too promising for the Owls despite being at home. Wednesday have won just once in their last 18 matches against Wolves across all competitions at Hillsborough, drawing nine and losing eight.

Carvalhal will be absent from the bench tonight as he serves a one-game ban. The Owls coach has some real problems on his hands at the moment when you consider the club's £25m spend on recruitment and their current league position. What has made things even more worrying was the lack of intent Wednesday showed during their 3-1 defeat to Norwich City at the weekend.

Friday night football has proven to be beneficial for the Owls in the past, though. Wednesday have picked up three points from six of their last nine league outings kicking off on a Friday.

We're just a couple of minutes away from kickoff now and here is a quick glimpse inside the ground from a little earlier this evening:


PREDICTION: Time to make a quick prediction for the outcome of tonight's contest. The draw at the weekend will have irked Nuno as Sunderland shut-up shop to deny his side and I fully expect them to come back with a win here. Wednesday's main problems this season have come at the back despite some expensive signings and you would have to think that Jota, Bonatini and Cavaleiro will be rubbing their hands together as they go in search of a comforting tally of 51 points this evening.

KICKOFF! Wolves get us moving then, kicking from left to right in orange and black, while hosts Wednesday feature in classic white and blue...

The visitors are straight into business as the ball is moved swiftly down the right channel through Doherty, but van Aken does well under some early pressure in order to turn the cross away at the near post.

Jota pulls wide and is able to find just about enough strength to feed the ball beyond Palmer for the run of Cavaleiro, although the full-back does extremely well to get back into the contest and earn the hosts a free kick to relieve the pressure.

Wallace appears to be playing more centrally for Wednesday and looks to pull the strings from the middle, but the visitors press well in order to reclaim possession. Both sides look decently placed on the ball at the moment.

The Wolves full-backs have been outstanding this campaign and a mazing run down the left channel almost sees a perfect ball turned in towards Bonatini, although Jones is across to cover and clear on the edge of the area.

Vinagre has some defending to do now as Palmer bursts forward down the right wing, leaving two players in his wake. Thankfully for the away side, Vinagre makes a standout recovering tackle in order to see the ball out for a goal kick.

Wednesday are just starting to click in possession. Butterfield is able to find just enough room to chip a ball into the middle for a lurking Rhodes, leaving Bennett to do just about enough to stop the striker from rising to meet the ball with his head in the centre of the box.

They'll be some early pressure here on young keeper Wildsmith, who does his Wednesday teammates no favours as he boots a fairly straightforward clearance poorly into the stands.

All hands to the pump for Wednesday for the first time tonight... Jota does really well to ride a challenge on the edge of the area before shifting possession to Cavaleiro. The frontman waits for an option before going alone with a drilled effort across the face of goal and wide.

Wednesday are playing with an extra man in the middle of the park, but still Neves and Saiss have been able to find enough room just to start putting together some positive forward moves into Jota, who has been excellent in his hold-up play so far.

More slightly desperate defending from the hosts this time as Bonatini shows some good skill on the right side of the box, but his eventual cross from the byline is blocked by an excellent interception from van Aken with Jota lurking dangerously in the middle.

CHANCE! Wednesday create the game's first real chance and it sort of comes out of nowhere. A ball is lumped into the middle for Rhodes, who finds a perfect knockdown into the middle of the area. The Wolves centre-backs can't quite bounce on it, leaving Reach to fire wide from just inside the area with just the keeper at his mercy.

SAVE! Wednesday come again and problems are caused by another cross from deep. The ball is swung in from the right side of the pitch, where centre-back van Aken rises highest to glance a header towards the back-post, leaving Ruddy to scramble across and make the stop down low.

Wolves reply almost instantly with a free-flowing move down their own right channel. Full-back Doherty picks the ball up on the overlap before crossing deep for Bonatini. The striker brings the ball down with a perfect touch at the back stick, but is eventually crowded out before being able to get his shot away.

Doherty is beginning to leave his mark on the game, this time as he cuts inside to beat Fox again, although his pass back out into the channel for the run of Cavaleiro is a poor one and Wednesday get the goal kick.

YELLOW CARD! Jota goes into the book for a cynical foul on Hooper. The striker was a little peeved at the lack of willingness from the Owls to put the ball out of touch with Bonatini on the deck.

The eventual ball into the box from the free kick is a poor one, though, leaving Bony to head clear in the middle of the area. Both sides offering something here, though neither looks particularly uncomfortable when being asked to defend.

GOAL! SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (RUBEN NEVES)

And that's what happens when you have a £15m signing in your side... Wednesday are unable to clear the danger from a bending free kick, leaving Neves time to collect the ball 25 yards out from goal. Lesser men would put their laces through it, but the midfielder simply picks out his spot and strokes the ball into the corner with a deft finish using the inside of his boot.

How can Wednesday respond to this? They haven't played particularly badly and the shift towards an extra man in the middle had appeared to be slightly stifling the visitors up until the goal...

YELLOW CARD! Wolves get their second booking of the game after clashing with Rhodes in the air. Wolves are breaking this game up cleverly now as we head towards half time.

We're going to have three minutes of additional time in the first half at Hillsborough...

HALF TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

So the referee calls time on what has proven to be a productive 45 minutes for the visitors, who find themselves 1-0 ahead thanks to a piece of brilliance from Neves. Wednesday haven't done too much wrong to be fair and this game has been pushed forward by a piece of brilliance from the Wolves midfielder.

Despite being behind, Wednesday have looked well organised and haven't defended too shabbily. The hosts had two decent chances in the first half too, and van Aken was unlucky not to find a way past Ruddy with his flicked header.

Wolves have won each of the 12 games when they have been leading at half time this season. Nuno will be fairly pleased with the scoreline, but his side have failed to show the dominance expected of them during this encounter.

The players are now emerging back out onto the pitch. Not long until we're back underway now...

SECOND HALF! We are back moving again as Wednesday get the second half going here at Hillsborough.

Some direct football sees the ball looped long into the box for the run of Rhodes, who is able to battle to win a corner. The first attempt doesn't beat Coady, while the second ball into the middle sees Bony head clear out of the area.

Wednesday continue to apply the early pressure and this time a clearance drops kindly for Palmer, who blazes wide of the target under pressure from Doherty.

Rhodes attempts to stretch the Wolves backline now with a run in behind, although the striker is soon flagged for offside when he collects the deep ball from the Wednesday defence.

The visitors do not look quite so assured in the second period. Wednesday have pressed hard and looked to put consistent pressure on the Wolves defence. The away side cannot seem to keep hold of the ball at the moment.

Wolves turn it on for the first time in the second half as the ball is sprayed wide to Doherty. The full-back speeds past fellow defender Fox, before his cross into the middle is turned behind by Loovens for a corner.

Cavaleiro has been quiet tonight although the wide-man produces a sublime piece of skill to leave Fox in his wake. The Wolves man then cuts inside the box where he is eventually crowded out before being able to complete his cross.

CLOSE! How has that stayed out? Reach crosses long from the left side of the pitch to find Hooper at the far-post, but his header back across the face of goal falls kindly to a Wolves defender.

YELLOW CARD! Fox goes into the book as he seeks to break up a Wolves counter through Cavaleiro. The away side might be making a few more of those as this contest progresses.

CHANCE! Wednesday setup terribly to defend a curling free kick from the right, leaving Saiss in acres of space to climb and meet the ball with a header. Fortunately for the home side, the midfielder is wasteful and nods wide of the target with just Wildsmith to beat.

Maybe the best move of the match here for Wolves. Neves feeds Doherty down the right, who then turns the ball back towards the penalty spot for the run of Bonatini. The frontman looks set to make the net bulge, but slips at the vital moment.

It certainly feels like there is at least another goal in this game and it could go either way. Wolves, despite their chances, have looked rather disjointed when in possession. Wednesday are seeing plenty of the ball but Ruddy has rarely been tested.

SUBSTITUTION: Wolves make another change as Costa comes on in place of Bonatini up top.

Wednesday are pressing for the equaliser as Lucas Joãoat makes great strides down the left before turning a testing ball into the middle. Bony has to deal with it despite facing his own goal and is somehow able to find a clearance without turning the ball into his own net.

This is moving from end to end at great pace now... Wolves produce a blistering counter attack that sees Bennett move into space down the right, but his ball into the middle is cut out before it finds the run of Costa.

We have ten minutes to go at Hillsborough, can the Owls find an equaliser? Wolves are doing all they can to take time out of this contest as Cavaleiro takes what seems like an age with his corner.

RED CARD! We're now into the final five minutes as Wednesday seek to push for an equaliser, but Wolves still stand firm. The hosts will feel frustrated having seen so much of the ball in this second half but doing little with it. Fox now receives his marching orders to make things more difficult for a second yellow of the match.

CHANCE! Wolves catch the home side on the break and they have very little at the back to help cover. Cavaleiro has options either side of him, but decides to go it alone and can only drive a poor effort wide of the target.

Three minutes of additional time...

FULL TIME: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

So there we have it, the referee calls time on a rather tense affair at Hillsborough. Wednesday had much of the ball in the second half without doing too much with it in the Wolves half. As for the visitors, they were far from impressive collectively and have been able to pick up three points from a piece of individual brilliance. That's all from me tonight, thanks for joining us!

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Ruben Neves has a shot during the Championship game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland on December 9, 2017
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