Albion held after Wolves hit back

Albion 2, Wolves 2: Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson put hosts in control before Wolves score twice late on to take a point.

2024-10-26T17:00+01:00

Danny Welbeck's opening goal against Wolves was the 32nd of his Albion career. 📷 by Simon Roe.

Albion had to settle for a point against Wolves despite leading 2-0 with a minute of normal time.

Danny Welbeck’s sixth goal of the season and a second goal in the 86th minute by substitute Evan Ferguson appeared to have sealed a third successive Premier League win.

But Rayan Ait-Nouri pulled one back in the last minute of normal time and in stoppage time Matheus Cunha equalised with a deflected shot. A stunned Amex couldn’t quite believe what they had seen. Although Albion moved back up to fifth with the point this one felt like a defeat.

Lewis Dunk was denied his 250th Premier League start after pulling out in the warm-up, but Albion made light of any disruption to make a strong start.

Danny Welbeck expertly slotted home from Georginio's pass. 📷 by Simon Roe.

In the first quarter Welbeck looped his header from Jan Paul van Hecke’s long pass over, Craig Dawson made a crucial block to divert Kaoru Mitoma’s low drive wide and Jose Sa was at his best when he pushed away Carlos Baleba’s piledriver from 25 yards.

Yet Wolves had probably the best chance in the opening half hour but Tommy Doyle, in yards of space on the edge of the box, swept a right-foot shot well over after good work on the left by Cunha.

Evan Ferguson celebrates after putting Albion 2-0 up with his first goal of the season. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood

Baleba was increasingly influential. One turn away from Mario Lemena set a crossfield move in motion which ended with Sa having to come out to block Mitoma’s shot. A goal was coming and when it arrived on 44 minutes the goalscorer was no surprise.

Sa’s clearance went straight to Ferdy Kadioglu. His pass inside found Georginio Rutter who ran at a retreating defence before slipping a perfectly weighted pass into Welbeck’s path and he fired low and hard across Sa and inside the far post.

Evan Ferguson's crisp strike found the bottom corner. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood

Jorgen Strand Larsen headed straight at Bart Verbruggen early in the second half – a warning that Albion needed to stay diligent and look for the cushion of a second goal. Welbeck had an opportunity on 62 minutes when he latched onto a stray pass and surged forward but a combination of Santiago Bueno and Liam Dawson crowded him out and his shot was blocked.

Wolves began to commit more men forward. Cunha dragged a shot wide before Verbruggen blocked an effort from the same player, tipped over Dawson’s header and got down well to save Strand Larsen’s downward header. With 15 minutes to go they looked the team likely to get the next goal.

Yasin Ayari holds of Nelson Semedo during the first half. 📷 by James Boardman.

Instead, with five minutes to go, two of Albion's subs combined to make it 2-0. Tariq Lamptey broke away down the right and squared it to Ferguson. The Irishman still had work to do but he did it with aplomb, taking a touch, turning and firing unerringly into the bottom corner with his right foot.

Job done? No. Wolves pulled one back in the 88th minute when Ait-Nouri reacted after a corner wasn’t cleared to drill a volley past Verbruggen from close range. Albion had an opportunity in stoppage time with a 4 v 1 break but Mats Wieffer’s pass was cut out, with three teammates unmarked to his left, and Wolves punished a suddenly undermanned defence. Cunha’s shot beating Verbruggen via a hefty deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke after they had broken down the right.

Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Igor, Estupinan, Baleba (Wieffer 80), Ayari, Kadigolu (Gruda 72), Mitoma, Rutter (Lamptey 80), Welbeck (Ferguson 72).