Wigan 3 Wolves 2 - match analysis

Well, at least there's a new manager coming in.

Nothing against Terry Connor, but Wolves fans need something to look forward to and they are intrigued and excited about the arrival of Stale Solbakken.

It's just as well because there's plenty of work to be done on the pitch.

Two more woeful defensive lapses in three crazy minutes on the final day at the DW Stadium summed up Wolves' sorry season. Those errors, committed by Richard Stearman for Emmerson Boyce's equaliser and Stephen Hunt for Franco Di Santo's deflected effort for Wigan's second goal, effectively killed off any hope of Wolves signing off with the victory the players wanted so much for Connor.

Solbakken wasn't at the DW Stadium to see Wolves' final curtain call as a Premier League team. But he will see it soon enough and will no doubt wince at the woeful defending that successive managers Mick McCarthy and Connor have tried so hard but ultimately failed to put right.

And it's that which will be top of his list of priorities as he tries to build a promotion-winning team.

That must surely first mean the departure of Roger Johnson, whose rocky marriage to Wolves surely can't last much longer. At the DW Stadium yesterday, the 2,500 loyal fans made their feelings perfectly clear about what they thought of the £4.5m signing.

After booing him warming up down the touchline as he approached the away end, they then broke into chants of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' followed by singing for the man they have never replaced, Jody Craddock.

Beforehand, there were thoughts that the players would put on a performance as they looked to impress the new manager.

Matt Jarvis's fine curling shot into the top corner, after cutting in from the left, was the highlight of an impressive afternoon's work and he led the way as the clear man of the match in an otherwise ragged performance by his team-mates.

Jarvis also led the way in his applause of the fans after the final whistle, staying longer than anyone else in what could have been a final farewell after five years.

Few will complain if he does remain in the Premier League: he has earned the right to stay in the top flight with a superb second half of the season and has kept his standards sky-high when some of his team-mates have been found wanting.

That was certainly the case with the poor defending that cost Wolves yesterday.

Their lead was to last just three minutes before Hunt was caught in possession by James McCarthy in his own penalty area and Di Santo's deflected shot trickled past keeper Dorus De Vries.

That was bad enough and it got worse two minutes later as Boyce outjumped Stearman at the far post to nod Jean Beausejour's corner into the roof of the net.

Wigan's more subtle brand of football which included a stand-out performance from former Villa man Shaun Maloney, popping up everywhere, saw them regularly pick holes in Wolves' back line.

And it took a vital interception from Christophe Berra to cut out Beausejour's centre and stop Di Santo grabbing a third goal for Wigan in the 27th minute.

Victor Moses was next to try his luck, firing over from a shot on the turn after latching onto a wayward James McArthur shot a minute later.

The recalled Sylvan Ebanks-Blake saw a similar effort blocked by Maynor Figueroa, 12 minutes from the break, while a shot from the improved Kevin Doyle went the same way. But they were token efforts as Wolves tried to stem the tide from a fluent outfit simply oozing confidence from a run of six wins in eight games going into the match.

Wolves finally showed a threat in the second half after the surprise arrival of Carl Ikeme as a substitute keeper for De Vries for his Premier League debut, over three years since his last appearance for the club in January 2009.

Not surprisingly, it was that man Jarvis who created their two chances.

Ebanks-Blake headed over from the winger's cross from a good position in the 62nd minute and Doyle's more dangerous header hit keeper Ali Al Habsi at the foot of the post from a free-kick, six minutes later.

Wolves were still being pushed back however and substitute Albert Crusat rattled the side-netting with an angled effort before Boyce beat Ikeme with an unstoppable swerving shot 11 minutes from time.

Top scorer Fletcher reduced the arrears in the 86th minute, sidefooting into the unguarded net after Dave Edwards superbly closed down Al Habsi to force a loose ball.

But it was too little, too late to launch a comeback.

Wolves had blown themselves out for the season, and to the brief regime of Connor.

Now it's over to you, Mr Solbakken.

By Tim Nash