Keogh returns to haunt Wolves
Andy Keogh piled the pressure on his former employers and under-fire manager Stale Solbakken as in-form Millwall extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 1-0 win against Wolves.
The striker, who swapped Wolves for the Lions in January after five years at Molineux, proved the inevitable matchwinner with a 79th-minute effort after being teed up by on-loan West Brom strike partner Chris Wood.
Wanderers boss Solbakken will be growing increasingly concerned with his side's struggles having now gone nine matches without a win, slipping from third place in the npower Championship table to 18th.
More worrying will be his team's constant inability to perform in the second half, with tonight no exception following a dominant first-half display.
Wolves were booed off at the full-time whistle, with home supporters having not witnessed a home victory since late September.
The Black Country club went into the encounter second-bottom in a form table which was led by Millwall, who have now won their last four games and have risen up to fifth place thanks to Keogh's fifth goal of the season.
The first half's biggest talking point arrived with 12 minutes on the clock as Danny Shittu brought down Kevin Doyle when moving into the penalty area, but the challenge was deemed to have been made just outside the box by referee Michael Naylor.
Wolves, inspired by Bakary Sako after he passed a fitness test on a thigh strain, had certainly made the more promising start although they had failed to seriously test Lions goalkeeper David Forde in the opening quarter.
Christophe Berra made a great challenge to nick the ball off the toe of Wood as he threatened to break clear for the visitors.
Bjorn Sigurdarson came close to connecting with Sako's cross as the game started to flow from end to end, with Adam Smith then finding the side-netting from the right of the penalty area for Millwall.
But the excitement which dominated the opening half an hour dissipated as the first half wore on, with the game goalless at the interval.
Chris Taylor fired wide from distance within 51 seconds of the restart as Millwall broke swiftly on the counter before Keogh then tried his luck.
Doyle sent a shot off target for the hosts but, as has so often been the case this season, Wolves were considerably off the pace after the restart.
Wood came close to getting on the end of a ball into the box as Millwall looked the more likely to make the breakthrough.
Solbakken was given another dilemma as goalkeeper Carl Ikeme suffered a hand injury and was eventually forced off in the 66th minute.
However, despite Wolves' inadequacies Millwall were hardly looking a serious threat themselves.
The home side finally enjoyed a second-half shot with 76 minutes on the clock - much to the ironic joy of the home support - as Dave Edwards fired over.
But those supporters were soon watching Millwall fans celebrate as Wood held the ball up well and laid it off for Keogh to fire home from 12 yards.
Wanderers substitute Sylvan Ebanks-Blake twice came close to an equaliser but it did not come for Wolves.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG