Match Report 2002-2003 by Michael Wood
Saturday 10 August, 2002, Division One
Wolverhampton Wanderers At Valley Parade
Pretenders to the throne
When last we saw Wolves they looked like the were headed for the Premiership. They never made it of course, West Brom have that dubious honour away at Old Trafford next week, so the lined up as one of the favourites for promotion this term. If that is the case then a 0-0 draw to one of the pretenders to the throne is a good result.
Taking the game into account, City's first in front of new chairman Gordon Gibb, City did well to get away with the scoreless sheet and had Gary Walsh's headlong lunge late on to thank. Taking into account the last few months at Bradford City 0-0 is a result and a half.
It is a result that brings much credit to Nicky Law. It was Law who kept a level head when sixteen of his players were sacked. It was Law who was on the phone to the likes of Paul Evans convincing them to come to training and not get paid. Law must have smiled when his new number ten, jumping effortlessly into the shirt of a different sort of City player, got a warm welcome to take a corner late on. Quite how he got Paul Evans to believe in City when even the likes of David Wetherall did not is anyone's guess but he did and it looks like a smart move.
Smarter still is pairing Evans with Tom Kearney who was outstanding. Busy, lively Kearney is everything I would want to see in a City shirt. The midfield pair of Kearney and Evans ran the show and when City were on top, they were winning the midfield battle.
Law pulled Danny Cadamarteri onto the wide left role and left Jamie Lawrence to his own devices in the middle. Lawrence provided City's X-factor and did more better than bad. Ashley Ward was unsupported up front but had a good game chasing everything and winning much. Once he headed softly after Andy Gray has dug out a sweet cross and once he had a shot fizz over the bar. A goal would not have been unjustified for the City's anomaly. Gray's cross was his greatest contribution in a game that saw him nullified by an excellent display by the Wolves left back Naylor.
Wetherall and Andy Myers did wonders at the back having previously been thought of as unable to pair up. Gus Uhlenbeek and Lewis Emanuel provided excellent support.
But it was Evans and Kearney who take the plaudits. Wherever one was the other was six steps behind picking up the pieces. Kearney looks smart, Evans is a tank. Evans bent a ball from thirty yards only to see the visitor's keeper turn it away full stretch. It would have been a dream debut for a man who's dreams in the summer did seem to be of the four year deal he got with the Bantams last week.
So out with 10. Carbone and in with 10. Evans and 4. McCall is 4. Kearney. Pretenders to the two most iconic shirts in City's history.
Settling in nicely though.
Men of the Match
Paul Evans and Tom Kearney
Hope for the future? You betcha.