FOOTBALL
NENAD MILIJAS LEAVES GARY MEGSON
Jody Craddock powers through
By Frank Warner
SUPER Serb Nenad Milijas hit a wonder goal as Bolton fans turned on boss Gary Megson.
Wolves sealed their first win in nine games, although they were hanging on to the points by the end. Travelling Bolton fans chanted ‘Megson out’ and Wolves supporters joined in with ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ as the defeat left them five games without a win.
But Megson won’t be happy with Wolves’ opener from Jody Craddock, which looked offside. Milijas’ second-half strike simply took the breath away, though, as he grabbed his first goal since a £2.6million move from Red Star Belgrade.
There didn’t appear to be much on but the midfielder found the net with a brilliant, dipping effort that gave keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen no chance.
Bolton didn’t roll over, and Sweden striker Johan Elmander came off the bench to pull one back with 11 minutes left. Megson’s men then swarmed all over the Wolves goal in search of a late point but they could not find the net.
The result eased some of the pressure on Wolves boss Mick McCarthy whose side would have been bottom had they lost.
But they hit form at just the right time and, although McCarthy and Megson remain pals, it was the Bolton boss who is back under fire.
Wolves took just 122 seconds to hit form – and the goal had a familiar look to it.
Milijas’ free-kick was flicked on by Christophe Berra and Craddock was on hand to steer it into the roof of the net for his fourth of the season, taking over as Wolves’ top scorer.
But the effort looked to be offside and was a carbon copy of the goal Craddock scored in their 2-2 draw at Stoke. That was also set up by Milijas and later shown to be offside.
McCarthy was not complaining, although he admitted Craddock’s goal shouldn’t have counted.
He said: “It was offside. I could say we deserve a bit of luck because we haven’t had much all season but I don’t deserve any more than Gary Megson.”
But he couldn’t get enough of Milijas’ strike, saying: “It’s what we believed we had brought to the club and signed. He didn’t settle down straight away but today he was what I thought I was buying.”
For Megson there were no reasons to be cheerful, and he said: “The guy who scored was offside. It was a shocking decision. Referee Chris Foy has been let down badly by the linesman and I said that at half-time.
“I advocate having a camera in the box, but you don’t need a camera for that incident. It was so obvious.”
Megson insisted he did not fear the result had pushed him closer to the sack, saying: “People talk about pressure, but there are three million people unemployed in this country.”
