Wolves 2 Rotherham 0 By Paul Berry
ON Saturday, Wolves ground out a comfortable, even professional, victory over Rotherham without ever gracing the heights on a thoroughly flat Molineux afternoon.
Meanwhile, a couple of hundred miles further north, Sunderland transformed into a hotbed of passionate red and white fervour, as the Wearsiders --Carl Robinson et al --celebrated promotion.
The reason for the comparison? Incredibly both teams have lost the same amount of games, namely
And while it's becoming a stuck record to continue harping on about Wolves' tally of draws this season, in that solitary statistic lies the brutal truth.
Sunderland are heading for the Premiership while Wolves, boasting more draws than legendary cartoon sheriff Quick Draw McGraw...mid-table obscurity.
The funny thing is that had Wolves been able to dispatch several other lowly sides in the same way they did Rotherham, winning games when nothing like near their best, than they might have been able to put a dent in the 28 point gap between themselves and the Mackems.
The visit of the already relegated Millers was always going to be about as meaningful as asking David Beckham to become a columnist for the News of the World.
But it was thanks to Wolves' very own Miller, striker Kenny, that those now weary Wolves supporters went home with at least something to celebrate.
Most Scotsmen love a double, and Miller's tipple --a predatory 54th minute finish and majestic injury time run - took him to another thoroughly decent return of 19 goals for the season.
And also secured Wolves, despite missing inspiration-in-chief Paul Ince, their own first league double of the season.
Such delights had looked far from likely in the first half as Wolves laboured, Seol's early miss capping what Glenn Hoddle described as a 'dreamy' performance from the South Korean who found himself substituted seven minutes before half time.
Leon Clarke was twice off target, and perversely it was Rotherham who had the most productive chance when Jamal Campbell-Ryce broke from deep before testing Michael Oakes.
Cue a half time dressing down, followed by the response which Hoddle demanded.
Substitute Rohan Ricketts flashed a shot wide and then warmed the hands of Gary Montgomery, before Miller broke the deadlock and settled the nerves.
That's not to say there weren't more anxious moments, Oakes made another fine stop to deny John Mullin, but it was left to Miller to put the icing on the cake long after many among the home faithful had made their exits.
Whether Hoddle is poised to make a similar exit in a fortnight's time remains to be seen, but for the second successive Saturday there were muted calls in favour of the manager.
With that issue at least, some excitement looks like being extended until the final days of the season.
* WOLVES (4-2-1-3): Oakes 7; Bischoff 6 (Edwards 79), Lescott 8, Craddock 7, Naylor 6 (Cooper 70, 7); Kennedy 7, Olofinjana 7; Cameron 6; Seol 5 (Ricketts 38, 7), * MILLER 8, Clarke 7. Not used: Jones, Cornes. ..TEXT ROTHERHAM (4-4-2): Montgomery; Minto, Barker, Swailes, Hurst (Newsham 85); Campbell-Ryce, Mullin, McLaren, Keane (Hoskins 70); Thorpe, Warne. Not used: Pollitt, Scott, Proctor. REFEREE: M. Pike (Cumbria).
