Careless Wolves flush two more points down drain

AT THIS stage Mick McCarthy’s time pondering the endless permutations of the relegation struggle must even extend to his most private moments in the bathroom.

Wolves’ Premier League membership will not have vanished round the U-bend with this result, but McCarthy cannot escape the feeling of an opportunity squandered in his bid to secure safety.

Sharing points, thanks to goals traded by Stephen Fletcher and Sebastian Larsson, was certainly not the worst outcome for a feisty local argument, especially considering Wolves were so insipid and by McCarthy’s own admission “hopeless” in their 3-0 defeat against Stoke City, in preparation for the first of two derbies which will shape their season.

When the dust had settled on the dust-up which included five yellow cards and one red the inescapable fact for the Wolves manager is that the mental wrestling on his toilet breaks will continue for a few more weeks after failing to make the most of the kind of platform he could only have dreamt about in his bid to climb out of the relegation zone and end Wolves’ miserable sequence of results in the top flight at St Andrew’s.

They were looking for their first win at the highest level at the home of their neighbours since November 1981. The gift of a seventh-minute penalty and an extra man advantage for over an hour because of the red card shown to Craig Gardner left McCarthy pondering “a missed opportunity”.

Instead they remain in the relegation zone, albeit by only a solitary point, but yet again Wolves’ position of supremacy was undone by mistakes of their own.

Michael Mancienne’s decision to try to attempt to cushion Ben Foster’s 70m punt back to Wayne Hennessey from the edge of his own area was pure folly and an accident waiting to be punished. Few administer punishment better than Larsson, who also struck the crossbar with an excellent free kick, and he did so with a flourish of his right foot.

“If our season is going to hinge on mistakes, there is another one. Mancienne should have headed it out, it is a mistake,” said McCarthy.

Wolves were the beneficiaries of a mistake too. Foster’s poor clearance was exacerbated by the fact he lunged desperately at Stephen Ward and was a fraction of a second late, allowing Fletcher to dispatch his ninth goal of the season from the penalty spot, but the disappointment for McCarthy will be his side’s inability to create anything during the period where they had a man over.

“We did not have the necessary quality to break down 10 men,” he admitted.

Even with the vast array of talent from wide areas in the form of Stephen Hunt and Matt Jarvis, Birmingham were rarely embarrassed and answered Alex McLeish’s half-time challenge.

“I told them if we could not win the game then not to lose it. I am really proud of their efforts and resilience,” he said.

Gardner certainly had plenty of time to reflect upon the wisdom of his over-reaction to Jamie O’Hara’s early tackle and the simulation which earned him a second yellow card from the excellent Kevin Friend by the 30 minute mark, when Jody Craddock clearly made no contact with his attempted tackle.

The influential central midfielder will be sorely missed for two of Birmingham’s remaining three games, which could yet prove pivotal.