Express & Star

Wolves' six-game run equal to the class of '79

It really has been a remarkable start to the season for Wolves.

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Only unbeaten Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool have lost fewer games so far. And it is only Arsenal who have taken more points from the last six games.

Incredibly, despite having won promotion to the Premier League just six months ago, Nuno Espirito Santo has lead Wolves to their best run in the top flight since 1979.

The Molineux Men have avoided defeat against Crystal Palace, Southampton, Manchester United, Burnley, West Ham and Manchester City in their last six league outings.

Blues, Norwich, Albion, Derby, Bolton and Nottingham Forest were the six teams who couldn't beat John Barnwell's side in April 1979.

But while Wolves fans are now daring to dream about Europe. Back then the results were needed for a different reason.

John Barnwell

The 1978/79 season began with League Cup hero Gary Pierce being sold to Barnsley. Bob Hazell also departed for QPR.

And while Peter Daniel arrived from Hull, Wolves got off to a disastrous start to the new campaign.

Barnwell's side lost their first three matches to Villa, Chelsea and Leeds without scoring a goal.

But while Kenny Hibbitt then netted in a victory over Bristol City, three more defeats followed against Southampton, Ipswich and Everton.

Wolves were in trouble and things got even worse when they lost four consecutive matches between October and November.

In Hibbitt, Steve Daley and John Richards though they had three players who were able to find the net regularly despite playing in a struggling side.

They were also fortunate that in QPR, Blues and Chelsea, there were three teams who were finding life even tougher in the top flight.

Heading into April, Wolves were in the thick of a relegation scrap.

John Richards

But with eight games to go, Barnwell's men found the consistency they had struggled for all year.

A Richard's goal saw them kick-off the run with a 1-1 draw at Blues. Hibbitt was then on target in a 1-0 home victory over Norwich.

Richard again netted at The Hawthorns to secure another good point on the road.

And with confidence now building, George Berry, Peter Daniel, Billy Rafferty and Daley found the target in a 4-0 win over Derby.

Richards then netted in a 1-1 draw with Bolton and a 1-0 win over Forest.

And that spell of form was enough to see Wolves avoid relegation comfortably.

They lost their last two matches against Coventry and Manchester United.

But they had done enough to secure an 18th placed finish on 34 points.

And that was way ahead of the bottom three with QPR finishing on 25 points, Blues 22 and Chelsea just 20.

Thankfully, better times were ahead with Barnwell's men finishing sixth in the old Division One the following year.