Wolves 0 Man City 3 - match report

It always looked a tough Christmas programme for Wolves, writes Martin Swain. Did it have to be so cruel and unforgiving as well?

This being the Premier League, we all know the answer to that.

But two beatings, five goals conceded without a score of their own, a man sent off and the steam taken out of the team's pre-festive revival seems awfully scant reward for the huge effort and more-than-decent performances Wolves have delivered over the holiday schedule.

Hot on the heels of Saturday's contentious events at Anfield came another controversy-tinged defeat last night, this time by the lavishly-assembled Manchester City side.

Wolves were still in the thick of the game and rousing a noisy Molineux by driving forward impressively for an equaliser when, in the 69th minute, one of those moments that Mick McCarthy's team can ill afford to go against them did just that.

A break down their left flank saw Craig Bellamy come back from an offside position, rejoin City's attack and play a decisive role in forcing a free-kick against Wolves as Michael Mancienne blocked Gareth Barry just outside the area.

Substitute Javier Garrido wrong-footed keeper Marcus Hahnemann with a delicious free-kick curled left-footed around the "blind side" of the defensive wall to establish the 2-0 lead which afforded City a stroll to the final whistle during which they would add another from Carlo Tevez.

McCarthy was furious - although wisely kept his counsel after the game - and Hahnemann even more so. Seconds later at a break in play, the seasoned American keeper hurled the ball at the linesman in a display of open rage at the incident; for such an experienced player to give in to his frustration passed a pretty accurate comment on how Wolves are feeling right now.

Should the flag have been raised to signal Bellamy's offside transgression? Possibly. But Wolves can do now't about it now and would instead be better served to concentrate on the positives which have emerged from these two defeats which, first and foremost, need to be put in perspective.

When City last night sent on Robinho for Martin Petrov, McCarthy wryly observed that the substitute had cost more than his club. And the Brazilian is only one component in the £200m team now managed by a three-times winner of the Italian championship. Against such overwhelming forces, Wolves have no right to expect anything.

"These aren't the games we have to win," was McCarthy's pragmatic view. "Those are still to come."

And despite these two defeats, he will be happier about their prospects against West Ham, Wigan and Hull - three of the next four League opponents - having seen his players recover the more promising performance-levels they displayed before that previous rush of defeats against Arsenal, Chelsea and Birmingham.

And not just the established X1 who crafted and grafted three wins from four while the turkeys were being culled up and down the country. Last night saw McCarthy turn to his squad for fresh energy but in less dramatic fashion than seen at Old Trafford - just five changes bringing George Elokobi, Andrew Surman, Chris Iwelumo, Ronald Zubar and Mancienne into his starting line-up.

All acquitted themselves well, Mancienne performing with particular merit alongside the outstanding Karl Henry in midfield, which gave the Wolves manager an opportunity to remind those who condemned his Old Trafford line-up that they might not have done so without shaking off the rust against Manchester United.

But oh to have the quality at the top end of the pitch that City possessed in Bellamy and Carlos Tevez. That, ultimately, is where the real difference lay in this lop-sided match-up .

Their new manager Roberto Mancini had studied the Liverpool-Wolves video and been sufficiently impressed with the Molineux side to begin this game with Bellamy withdrawn in a midfield role.

This only encouraged Wolves to take the initiative, however, which saw Surman fail to control one shooting opportunity from a promising position while Henry tested Shay Given with a better effort down to the keeper's left.

Mancini quickly saw the error of his ways and moved Bellamy up alongside Tevez to finally start to challenge the home team's early control and half-time arrived with Wolves enduring two body blows.

The first was a 33rd opening goal created by Bellamy's shimmy one way and dart the other which left Jody Craddock trailing. The Welsh international pulled back a cross which Tevez struck first time - but it was not the cleanest of hits and would most likely have been dealt with by Hahnemann had Christophe Berra's attempted block not deflected the ball beyond the keeper. More tough luck for Wolves to digest.

Berra then closed the half groggy and dazed by a heavy fall which meant he had to be replaced by Richard Stearman although that did not seem to duly disturb Wolves as they made a genuinely threatening start to the second period in which their passing was particularly crisp and effective and produced, arguably, their move of the season so far.

Elokobi, Henry and Surman were all involved in a slick exchange of first time passes which gave Iwelumo a real chance of an equaliser only for his finish to take a thin but crucial deflection off Pablo Zabaleta. Unfortunately for Wolves, and in sharp contrast to Berra's efforts to stop Tevez, this intervention sent the ball looping just over the bar. What was that again about those little moments McCarthy's men so desperately need to go for them?

Doyle, who yet again was in splendid form, also wrestled possession from Kolo Toure to demand a Given save as Wolves fought manfully for the goal you could not deny they deserved. But then came that decisive City second which killed the match as a contest.

It was tough for the home side to then endure the "Ole" football of visitors afforded the luxury of running down the clock while threatening more goals on the counter-attack and Tevez had already wasted one glaring chance before angling a left-foot drive beyond Hahnemann with four minutes remaining. A cruel finish to a cruel night at the end of a cruel Christmas. But 2010 will arrive with hope for survival far from extinguished.