AFTER MONTHS IN the wilderness, Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle made his first appearance for Wolves since January 2014 as Kenny Jackett’s side hammered Rotherham 5-0.
After the club suffered successive relegations, Doyle fell down the pecking order at Molinuex and was shipped out on-loan to QPR and, most recently, Crystal Palace where is fortunes didn’t exactly improve.
After his spell with Palace ended last month, Doyle has returned to the Midlands club and came off the bench this afternoon. It was his first outing for Wolves since a 3-0 win at Oldham on 28 January of last year.
Although Jackett revealed the Irish forward is still in talks about a possible move to the MLS, he admitted Doyle’s Wolves career may not be over just yet.
“I think we may see more of Kevin Doyle,” he told the club’s website.
“Looking at the set-up of the forwards that we have, Kevin is the right person at the moment to complement the young strikers that we have.
“The move to America is still ongoing, but in the meantime if it is right for me to play him then I will do that as I thought it was for the last half an hour today.”
With Nouha Dicko, Rajiv van La Parra and Benik Afobe firmly established as the regular strike force, Doyle will find it difficult to break into a side just outside the Play-off berths but Jackett was impressed with his brief cameo on Saturday.
“will make the ball stick and can win a header and has experience which the other strikers don’t necessarily have.
“There was nothing today that would discourage me from using Kevin again and him alongside one quick striker is something that can help us.
“Looking at the situation with Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday there is the opportunity of more game time for Kevin.”
Elsewhere in the Championship, Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was at Vicarage Road to keep an eye on Wes Hoolahan as Norwich beat Watford 3-0. Hoolahan was replaced after 81 minutes.
His deputy, Roy Keane, was at Villa Park to watch Ciaran Clark and the hosts suffer defeat in Tim Sherwood’s first match in charge to Stoke City. Jon Walters, Glenn Whelan, Stephen Ireland and Marc Wilson all started for the visitors.
Derby took advantage of Middlesbrough’s defeat to Leeds as they moved to the summit of the standings but were given a helping hand as Irish ‘keeper Kieren Westwood was sent-off for Sheffield Wednesday.
Westwood was shown red for bringing down Tom Ince in the box and Darren Bent converted the resulting spot-kick to give Derby and their band of Irishmen a crucial win in the race for promotion.
The Champinship’s leading marksman Daryl Murphy couldn’t prevent Ipswich from losing at home to Reading while Chris Hughton continues to move Brighton clear of danger as they beat Birmingham 4-3.
