Jumilla beat Wolves youngsters in friendly
Wolves player Boubacar Hanne scored against their Under-23 team as FC Jumilla won a friendly with a difference in Spain.
Wolves recently confirmed an official link-up with Spanish second tier club Jumilla which will see the pair share resources and staff. There are currently eight Wolves players on loan with Jumilla – and they all featured yesterday as Rob Edwards' Under-23s took them on in a friendly.
With the regular Under-23s back at Compton Park training with the first team owing to so many first-teamers being called up for international duty, it was an inexperienced side that travelled to Spain including Irish trialist Andrew Lyons, an 18-year-old right-back from Bohemians.
However there was a rare sighting of forgotten man Ethan Ebanks-Landell, who has been training with the youngsters after failing to get a loan move before August's transfer deadline. Under-23 regular Doninic Iorfa also played.
Of their Wolves contingent, Jumilla fielded goalkeeper Jack Ruddy, right-back Aaron Simpson, centre-half Ryan Leak, midfielders Will Randall-Hurren, Ben Stevenson and Ming-Yang Yang and forwards Hanne and Donovan Wilson, the latter of whom had netted for Jumilla in a league game at the weekend.
Hanne's superb left-footed strike from range settled the match after 31 minutes.
Keeeper Harry Beasley had already been tested twice at that point, saving well from Wilson and Stevenson.
Wolves Under-23s had a great chance to equalise on 75 minutes but Austin Samuels shot straight at the keeper and it finished 1-0 to Jumilla.
After the match boss Edwards said it was to be expected that his team would lack cohesion as many of them were making a rare appearance.
"It served a purpose," Edwards said. "Three or four of the lads hadn't played for quite a while.
"We lacked a bit of cohesion and didn't have a cutting edge, or much of a threat.
"It's the first game for a few of those for a long time so there was a bit of a lack of understanding as a unit.
"It was great to see our other players who are out on loan.
"We've been wanting to do it for a while. It's really good to see them, they seem happy and they'll be pleased to see some of their mates. I thought they played well.
"We'll do some recovery tomorrow and then we travel back on Thursday. A bit of team bonding is always good for the boys."
Teams
Jumilla: Ruddy, Simpson, Salvi, Edu Luna, Robles, Leak, Randall-Hurren, Stevenson, Wilson, Ming-Yang, Hanne.
Wolves: Beasley (Alvarez), Lyons, Iorfa, Ebanks-Landell, Molberg, Berkoe, Samuels, McKenna (Taylor), Sauvage (Dias), Alves, Perry (Townsend).
