Cast Of Characters
Ebeanezor Scrooge	.........................................	Jez Moxey
Bob Crachitt	.........................................	Dave Jones
Jacob Marley	.........................................	Mark McGhoo
The ghost of Wolves' past	.........................................	Burnley 1 Wolves 0
The ghost of Wolves' present	.........................................	Burnley 2 Wolves 0
The ghost of Wolves' future	.........................................	More disappointment
Tiny Tim	.........................................	Dean Sturridge
The Christmas Turkey	.........................................	Carlton Cole
Widow Twankey	.........................................	Gary 'madman' Megson

True to the real Christmas Carol, this game was a morality play. Unfortunately the moral is that, without some fundamental change, Wolves are going nowhere.

Like A Christmas Carol, Wolves had received an early warning of what might happen - this time instead of Jacob Marley we had Mark McGhee and his Millwall team. In the book/film Jacob Marley warns Scrooge that he is destined to wander the world as a ghost carrying the chains - chained made, link by link, by his own greed. For Wolves, the chains are forged by expectation and squandered chances. The weight of expectation is surely going to weigh Wolves down, unless they can change our ways. Unlike the Charles Dickens's plot, it seems Wolves are unable to change their ways, even though in this match they were visited by three ghosts - of Wolves' past, their present, and their future.

The ghost of Wolves past - or at least this season - came in the shape of a Burnley goal scored by Gareth Taylor. Slack play in defence allowed Blake (not our one), to cross to Taylor in the Wolves box who had started the move in his own half. Allowed plenty of space in between Clyde and Irwin, Burnley's top scorer jumped and powered a header past Murray in the Wolves goal. I'm sure I've seen that goal before. Burnley 1 Wolves 0

The ghost of Wolves' present came in the form of a second Burnley goal. Poor team spirit, lack of co-ordination, comical defending, bad luck and inexplicable behaviour by Wolves players were all present to remind us of what an awful world we live in. A through ball saw the referee's assistant (linesman) raise his flag for a foul by Sturridge. The Wolves players stopped playing but Burnley full back Dean West picked up the ball and - profiting from the advantage played by the referee, cut inside a static Wolves defence. His shot deflected slightly off Lescott and beat Murray, who still seemed to be waiting for the ref to blow his whistle for the foul. Burnley 2 Wolves 0

Burnley had dominated the first half, with Cole squandering Wolves only chance of note, lobbing straight at the keeper on the 15 minute mark.

HT Burnley 2 Wolves 0

Wolves must have had a roasting at half time because they came out a stronger force in the second half. If the first half performance had been inept (as Dave Jones said in his post-match comments) the second half performance was merely adequate, but made to look better by a Burnley side who decided that stopping Wolves scoring was their best chance in this match. They managed to do just that until the 85th minute when Butler scored a "Christmas cracker" of a goal. A Kennedy corner caused confusion in the Burnley box and the ball was half cleared to Butler who, from the edge of the area lobbed the ball back in and into the net. Burnley 2 Wolves 1

Five minutes to go and Wolves piled on the pressure, but couldn't find a way through. Then in added-on time came the ghost of Wolves' future. Carlton Cole, the bright young prospect who everyone thought Wolves were lucky to get, headed against the post when it would have been easier to score. So unlike the real Christmas Carol - this Yuletide Odyssey seems to suggest a very bleak future. Be prepared for more disappointment.

PS Didn't Dickens also write 'Great Expectations'?

FT Burnley 2 Wolves 1