West Ham United v Wolves, 16th November 1974

• published: 29 Dec 2014
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Goal highlights from a high scoring First Division match between West Ham United and Wolves at Upton Park on 16th November 1974. Following on from their League Cup success the previous season, the 1974-75 season proved a disappointment for Wolves. In their first defence of the trophy, Bill McGarry's team were beaten at Molineux by Second Division Fulham. Further exits at the first stage of the FA Cup and UEFA Cup followed with defeats against Ipswich Town and Porto (although Wolves did manage to beat Porto 3-1 at Molineux following a 4-1 reverse in the first leg of the UEFA Cup). In the First Division, the inconsistency that plagued Wolves throughout that particular season ensured a moderate 12th place finish. In some respects, it was surprising that the season was a relative struggle. The Wolves defence remained largely unchanged from the success of previous seasons, although goalkeepers Phil Parkes and Gary Pierce split appearances between them throughout the campaign. The inspirational Mike Bailey was at the heart of the Wolves midfield and was ably assisted by Kenny Hibbitt (who top scored for Wolves with 17 league goals for the season). In addition, talented players such as Barry Powell, Steve Daley and, towards the end of the season, Willie Carr appeared for Wolves in midfield alongside Bailey. However, despite some consistency of selection, Wolves were undergoing something of a transition in other areas throughout the 1974-75 season. With Derek Dougan relegated to just a handful of appearances in the final season of his distinguished Wolves career, Bill McGarry sought his replacement to partner John Richards. Either Alan Sunderland, Steve Daley, Peter Withe or Steve Kindon were selected instead of 'The Doog.' Sunderland was the player initially chosen by McGarry for the number 10 shirt but after a lengthy scoreless run, his season ended with a broken leg sustained in training. Kindon eventually prevailed and he finished the season with a creditable 10 goals in 29 league appearances. Another magnificent servant of the club, Dave Wagstaffe, was injured at the beginning of the season - a continuation of an injury that had occurred prior to the League Cup final the previous season. The unenviable task of replacing 'Waggy' as left-winger went to John Farley but, at other times, Steve Kindon, Alan Sunderland or Steve Daley were chosen for the position as Wagstaffe would complete only 13 appearances for the season. It was perhaps McGarry's experimentation in those positions (some of it enforced through injuries) that resulted in an underwhelming season for Wolves. In their previous matches, Wolves had ended a run of four games without a win with a narrow victory over Ipswich Town at Molineux (http://youtu.be/Axzj5zLu5uU?list=PLQ4CBN9_CCW8qLeDZ3e9SFQaX5tMgcHHu), while John Lyall's West Ham had beaten Carlisle United to climb to 9th position in the league. Included in Lyall's team to face Wolves at Upton Park was striker Bobby Gould, who joined the Molineux club in June 1970 and subsequently rejoined Wolves from West Ham in December 1975. Originally broadcast by LWT's The Big Match with commentary provided by Brian Moore.