Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Huddersfield Town. Sky Bet Championship.
MolineuxAttendance18,166.
Monday 5 October 2015 11:45, UK
Wolves striker Benik Afobe grabbed two goals to help seal a 3-0 Sky Bet Championship win over Huddersfield at Molineux.
Afobe ended his four-game goal drought with a second-half double after Kevin McDonald, who had rescued a point with an injury-time strike at Preston last weekend, gave Wolves a 23rd-minute lead.
The win saw Wolves extend their unbeaten run in the league to four games. They have also put together back-to-back wins since owner Steve Morgan announced on Monday that he was selling the club.
While Wolves unbeaten run remains intact, Huddersfield's came to a frustrating end after three games.
Chris Powell's side would have taken a sixth-minute lead but for a smart save from Emiliano Martinez who turned away a fierce drive by the lively Mustapha Carayol.
Martinez then beat out a dangerous cross from Huddersfield captain Dean Whitehead as Wolves were forced to weather an early storm.
Failing to make the most of that early possession quickly came back to haunt Huddersfield as Wolves broke the deadlock after a classy move that was started and finished by McDonald.
He exchanged passes with James Henry and then advanced to the edge of the Huddersfield area where he curled a well-placed shot past the outstretched left-hand of goalkeeper Jed Steer and just inside the near post.
The goal energised Wolves and they were a different proposition after taking the lead. They would have increased their advantage in the 32nd minute but for Steer who had to race out of his goal to bravely deny Adam Le Fondre as he surged into the left hand side of the penalty area.
But if Wolves thought they would have things completely their own way it became clear on the stroke of half time that would not be the case when Martinez saved from both Ishmael Miller and Emyr Huws.
Wolves could have made things more comfortable for themselves eight minutes into the second period only for James Henry to somehow manage to push his header wide from five yards after a pin-point centre from Iorfa.
Steer then denied Wolves in spectacular fashion after 61 minutes with a superb one handed save to push Afobe's 20-yard drive around the post.
Afobe, who had a spell on-loan at Huddersfield while at Arsenal, was not to be frustrated a second time though and he buried his low shot past Steer from eight yards following Le Fondre's cross in the 66th minute.
The only downside of the win for Wolves came after 68 minutes when Le Fondre was booked by referee Christopher Kavanagh for diving in the area when he was challenged by Steer after intercepting a back pass from Jason Davidson.
Huddersfield's dismal day was summed up nine minutes from time when substitute Nahki Wells' shot looked to be goalbound only for the impressive Martinez to tip it away.
Afobe then gave the final scoreline a more emphatic look by latching on to McDonald's pass before powering into the area and seeing his angled shot go in off the post two minutes from time.
"Benik is the type of player that you want to get on the ball as much as you can. From my point of view I am continually working out ways that you can get him in the game. If he does get on the ball, if he does get involved in the moves, then I feel the goals will come. He has been a big player for us and he has only been here since January (following a £2million move from Arsenal)."
Huddersfield manger Chris Powell:
"It certainly wasn't a 3-0 game with what we had in the game. But we actually presented them with the goals, especially the second one where we gave it away in a key area, and the third one was a breakaway. We felt we could come here and do something and yet again we have got in the final third, but we are just not selecting the right pass or cross and find ourselves losing the game 3-0."
