Cameron ends Wolves' months in wilderness

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Manchester City

Courtesy of a woefully inept Manchester City bunch, Wolves finally kick-started the season yesterday, winning their first match, scoring their first home goal and indicating that, after all, there may be survival at the end of their tunnel.

After three home blanks, the score from the head of Colin Cameron came as a massive relief to the record crowd of 29,386 at the rebuilt Molineux and they roared their heroes to a victory which will do club, players and fans the world of good, as manager Dave Jones pointed out. For Jones, the catalyst had been the manner in which Wolves were denied a win at Bolton last week by a late equaliser. "We were so disappointed about not picking up three points that there was a determination to put it right today," he said. "We got in amongst them, played to our tempo and never let them settle. That win was down to hard graft."

True enough, and there was no doubt Wolves were prepared to graft harder in a dour contest which came alive only in the last quarter. For the Manchester City manager, Kevin Keegan, it was the second wretched, goalless performance in six days. "We never got going at any point," he admitted. "It was our worst performance of the season. We have got to be better than that with the talent in our side. Fair dues to Wolves, they battled and scrapped. They expected a tough game and didn't get one. It was a poor game but I'm not knocking Wolves. They got the three points and they probably deserved them."

In a dire first half, Henri Camara's early waft over the bar, when a corner was headed down to him, was just about the only glimpse of a goal from either side. City concentrated on trying to find avenues for Nicolas Anelka to race into but found none.

Wolves, clear recipients of a half-time roasting, resumed in livelier style and City's goalkeeper David Seaman was in serious action for the first time to save low from Cameron. Then Nathan Blake, whose flicks and feints had done nothing to unsettle Sylvain Distin and his fellow defenders, got his head to a Kenny Miller cross but there was no pace on it to disturb Seaman.

Alex Rae, no doubt bearing in mind his spectacular goal at Bolton a week ago, had a couple of attempts to reprise that special effort. One sailed hopelessly high and the other brought Seaman into urgent action. The winner came, strangely, after City's best spell, in which Paul Bosvelt just missed the angle and Shaun Wright-Phillips got in a good shot after a brave run. With a quarter of an hour left Camara crossed from the right and Seaman spilled the ball. In panic, David Sommeil miskicked it straight back to Camara, who switched feet, this time hitting a cross with his left to the far post for Cameron to score with a simple, downward header.

With Trevor Sinclair on and linking well with Sun Jihai, City pressed hard at the finish but the closest they could manage was Sinclair's corner and a bullet header from the Chinese defender to which Oakes responded with a brilliant save in time added on.

The fact that Camara, Wolves' best player, was taken off after the goal puzzled the home fans but Jones explained that the Senegalese forward had strained his groin in crossing the ball for the goal. "At least I think that's what he said," said Jones. "I'm still learning French."

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Manchester City 0
Cameron 75

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 29,386