DISTANT SUCCESS
Jimenez sets up Asian odyssey
WOLVES paid the price for killing a dream – a gruelling 6,300-mile round trip to Armenia next Thursday.
The ‘prize’ for getting through this Europa League second qualifying round clash is a trip to Asia outpost Pyunik Yerevan in a stadium with a capacity of just 770.
It’s hardly ideal preparation for their opening Premier League fixture at Leicester three days later.
Crusaders gave it their best shot last night and had the audacity to take the lead but Wolves won at a canter after the early jolt.
The Irish side made a brisk start and gave Wolves a fright after just over a minute when Conor Coady was forced to head the ball away off the line to clear Jordan Owens’ header. The 500 Wolves fans in the compact Seaview ground had WOLVES WIN 6-1 ON AGG every reason to brush that off as a speculative punt with their side holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.
But it wasn’t in the script when the hosts took the lead after 14 minutes with an element of good fortune.
Ross Clarke clipped in a teasing cross and when Ryan Bennett went to meet it with Paul Heatley homing in, the Wolves man diverted a powerful header past his own keeper Patricio.
For the briefest of moments Wolves had been given something to think about, but not enough time for any panic to set in – 60 seconds to be exact – when Raul Jimenez swivelled in the box and rammed a low shot into the bottom corner.
And when Bennett made amends with a header which flew into the opposition net this time, even the most blinkered Crusaders fan knew the game was up.
Joao Moutinho swung a corner over from the left and Bennett gave keeper Sean O’Neill no chance with a powerful header.
Any hope of a Crusaders recovery was snuffed out on the stroke of half-time when Jimenez showed his class with a shot from the edge of the box for Wolves’ third goal and it was capped off by a late own goal from Jordan Forsythe.
To add to the Mexican shortly after ankle injury. Wolves’ concerns, striker limped off half-time with an