McCarthy: Win justifies selection
Mick McCarthy felt his team selection was justified after Wolves advanced to the Carling Cup third round with a last-gasp extra-time victory over Southend.
McCarthy made 10 adjustments for the match from the Wanderers side that drew 1-1 at Everton on Saturday, with teenagers Sam Winnall and Danny Batth handed their senior debuts for the Black Country club and Ashley Hemmings given his first start.
Southend, who went into the tie at Molineux lying third-bottom of npower League Two, put in a battling performance and having fallen behind to Nenad Milijas’ first-half penalty, deservedly equalised through Craig Easton’s header in the 80th minute.
They then held on for virtually the entire duration of extra-time and penalties looked to be on the cards until Richard Stearman bundled Ronald Zubar’s cross over the line at the death to send Wolves through.
McCarthy admitted afterwards that his side had not deserved to win, but asked if he regretted his team selection, the manager said: “No, because there were eight Premier League players on there that started the game.
“We should have done better, but I am not regretting it because I made the decision, and I think in the end, it is a Premier League player who wins it for us.
“Zubar is still going and shows his bit of class and his power and pace and wins the game.
“I was thinking how we were going to beat them on penalties at that stage of the game, because I wasn’t expecting to win it (before the end of extra-time).”
McCarthy acknowledged the Barclays Premier League side had got lucky.
“We had to work hard for it, we didn’t deserve it and it was certainly a cruel way for them to lose the game,” he said.
“But I’m not bothered. Not about the result and the way that it happens, because there has been many a time where we have got punished like that.”
Southend boss Paul Sturrock, who was faced with a transfer embargo when he arrived at the club this summer but has since brought in a host of new players, was delighted with his team’s performance.
“This is a huge challenge, but I like this kind of challenge and this is why I came here to work,” Sturrock said.
“I like the idea of moulding squads and teams and seeing the team grow.
“We have got to start winning football games, but there is a nucleus, which is a building block for this squad.
“That team didn’t look like a second division side and that is the pleasing thing.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy has confirmed that Wanderers striker Andy Keogh, who was not in the squad for the Southend game, is set to join Cardiff on a season-long loan.
