Zimbabwe Warriors player Tawanda Chirewa finally scored his first career goal as Wolves defeated Burnley 2-1 on Friday.
Chirewa came off the bench to score the winning goal for Wolves. In a battling effort, full of substance over style, the Old Gold dug deep to come back from goal down against a Burnley side who were beginning to turn a corner after a difficult start to their Championship season.
39-year-old Jamie Vardy opened the scoring in a first-half that could have seen the Clarets out of sight, but a neat finish from Fer Lopez and Tawanda Chirewa’s maiden Wolves goal saw all three points head back to the Black Country.
Peixoto made six changes to the side that slumped to a midweek home defeat to Bolton Wanderers, for what was the third Championship fixture in six days. Adam Armstrong made way for Sean Neave after suffering a back spasm, while Kieran Trippier, Ladislav Krejci, Hugo Bueno, Jordan James and Mateus Mane were rotated for Jackson Tchatchoua, Toti, Ghislain Konan, Marshall Munetsi and Rafiki Said respectively.
The home side dominated a pulsating first half. A misplaced pass from Toti was pounced upon on the halfway line by Largie Ramazani, who drove at speed towards the Wolves box with backpedalling centre-halves in pursuit. The Belgian played a neat ball across the edge of the box – cleverly dummied by Jacob Bruun Larsen – to the feet of Jamie Vardy, who forced Jose Sa into a smart save, low and to his left.
The mounting pressure paid dividends for the hosts with a 20th minute move started by Lucas Pires, who found Bruun Larsen with a low drive through the middle of the park. The Dane took one touch before caressing a through ball to Vardy, who found the back of the net with his first-time strike.
But the Clarets couldn’t capitalise on half an hour of dominance and 11 shots at Sa’s goal, which culminated in Bruun Larsen stinging the palms of the Portuguese with his low, driven long-range effort.
