Wolves captain Danny Batth happy to end Molineux hoodoo
A clean sheet for Wolves at Molineux had been a long time coming. In total, 151 days – and 11 matches – had elapsed after Wolves and Ipswich played out a forgettable goalless stalemate on August 16.
In those 11 games Wolves had conceded 23 goals, giving them the most porous home defence in the Championship,
But they finally ended the curse on Saturday. In fact it was a day of ended miserable sequences, with Joe Mason becoming Wolves' first striker to find the net since August 20.
Captain Danny Batth played a key role in the belated clean sheet, producing one of his best performances at Molineux in recent months.
And the skipper revealed he told his team-mates that it was time they ended the Molineux hoodoo in their pre-match huddle.
"It is certainly something we have been working on," the Brierley Hill-born defender said.
"We have been tighter away from home and I said in the huddle before the Villa game that we needed to bring that to Molineux as well. A derby game was always going to be tight and being solid defensively would give us a chance.
"We felt that if we kept a clean sheet we would win the game and we were delighted to do that and send the fans home happy.
"We won't be getting carried away though.
"We have won a game and we will enjoy that but then we dust ourselves down and get back in this week to prepare for another tough game at Norwich.
"The more we pick up results the more expectations go up and so we have to raise our game and put out foot to the floor again on Saturday and make sure we give them a real test. It is professional sport, and if we get beat, in the dressing room we are always keen to get back out there and improve in the next game.
"If we win a game, it doesn't make a season – it is how you back it up and follow it on that counts.
"That is what we will be looking to do."
Competition for places is rife at the moment and Paul Lambert said leaving out Mike Williamson was one of the hardest decisions of his managerial career.
Batth said, though, that the team spirit among the group was close, despite the number of available players.
"There is good competition now and it is very tight between the lads that are playing and even to the lads who were sitting in the stand on Saturday," he added.
"That confidence and togetherness will hopefully bode well.
"The gaffer is here to make those calls and take those decisions."
