Wolves' wonderful winning streak ends – and a record of nearly eight decades remains

WOLVES' 1-0 defeat at Manchester City meant a club record still stands after more than 78 years. Victory would have matched the run in 1946 by the team captained by Stan Cullis, whose seven on the trot is Wolves' best top-flight winning sequence.

- By STEVE GORDOS

That began with a 2-1 win at Blackburn on Saturday, September 21, 1946. Wolves had to make a late change, Billy Wright dropping out because of a head injury sustained in an England trial game at the City Ground, Nottingham, in midweek, an FA XI drawing 2-2 with a Combined XI. Wolves had four players in the game, Cullis, Wright and Jimmy Mullen in the FA side and Johnny Hancocks in the Combined XI.

On 30 minutes centre-forward Dennis Westcott broke the deadlock at Ewood Park, moving to the right to take a pass from Jesse Pye before beating left back Walter Crook and then firing past former Arsenal keeper Marks, whose £5,000 transfer to Rovers was at the time a record for a goalkeeper.

On the hour, centre-forward Jack Smith equalised from a centre by Verdi Godwin but there were strong protests from Wolves, claiming Smith had pushed full-back Bill Morris before heading past Wolves' keeper Bert Williams.

Justice was done 12 minutes later when another powerful Westcott shot gave Wolves the two points.

A shoulder injury sustained by goalkeeper Williams meant Ted Elliot made his Wolves debut two days later when Grimsby were the Molineux visitors for a 5.15 kick-off. Also making a debut was left-back Irishman Pat Ratcliffe, as Angus McLean had also been injured at Blackburn. Ratcliffe was a latecomer to league football having spent two years as a prisoner of war before playing for Bohemians in Ireland and then joining Notts County.