A late goal from Bolton's Kevin Davies denied Wolves their first Premiership victory after Alex Rae's first-half volley, a contender for Goal of the Season, had given the Molineux side the lead that they had deserved.

  There were five changes to the Wolves starting line-up following the midweek victory over Darlington with Michael Oakes, Denis Irwin, Paul Ince, Shaun Newton and the fit again Paul Butler replacing Matt Murray, Oleg Luzhny, Isaac Okoronkwo, Joey Gudjonsson and Silas.

  Wolves attacked the end that housed around 3,000 of their supporters in the sell-out crowd but it was Bolton who were first to get forward and the visiting defence had to clear a long throw from Jay Jay Okocha and then a corner from Youri Djorkaeff.

  Steffen Iversen, with a snapshot from 30-yards that was too high, got in Wolves' first goal attempt.

  In the 13^th minute, Jussi Jaaskelainen just beat Mark Kennedy to Colin Cameron's angled through ball and then the Bolton defence had to clear as Cameron attempted a diving header following a Newton centre.

  Emerson Thome's shove on Iversen resulted in a free-kick from 30-yards that Irwin hammered into the wall then, after a Rae corner was only half cleared, Iversen almost did the trick with an angled volley that flew wide of the far post.

  Wolves had enjoyed much of the attacking play but only the reflexes of Oakes denied Bolton a 25^th minute lead.

  Simon Charlton hoisted a free-kick from inside his own half to the edge of the Wolves box. Davies headed the ball on and Henrik Pedersen won a duwl with Lee Naylor to leave himself with a free shot at goal from just eight-yards out. But Oakes was quickly off his line to block at point blank range.

  As the game reached the half-hour mark Wolves moved into a thoroughly deserved lead with a fantastic goal from Rae.

  Kennedy's corner was flicked out by Okocha straight to Rae who hit a screamer from 30-yards into the top right-hand corner (see below).

  Three minutes later a long-range effort from Ince had Jaaskelainen scrambling across his line as the ball went a matter of inches wide, and shortly afterwards Djorkaeff was booked for a late challenge on the Wolves skipper.

  In the final four minutes of the half Okocha twice came to his side's rescue with timely interventions.

  First he cut out a Newton pass that was earmarked for Kennedy who would otherwise have been clean through, and he did likewise when Iversen spotted Cameron's run towards goal.

  In stoppage time, Thome's tackle on Rae earned the Brazilian a booking.

Half-Time: Bolton 0 Wolves 1

  Kenny Miller made a welcome return to the side after the break in place of Iversen who had been involved in an accidental clash of heads with Thome in the first-half.

  Thome was too high with a shot from the edge of the box and then Irwin managed to hook the ball away as Pedersen stole in on the blind side.

  Oakes punched clear a Djorkaeff corner and he twice had to block in the scramble that followed as Bolton went in search of an equaliser.

  But after Kennedy had blocked a Djorkaeff free-kick, he ran from the corner of his own box to that of Bolton's before trying to pick out Newton. Once again though, Okocha was in the right place to clear.

  The Bolton captain was then in action at the other end with an angled shot on the run that went over the bar whilst Miller's shot on the turn after taking a pass from Rae, lacked the power to seriously trouble Jaaskelainen.

  A minute after coming on as a substitute, Mario Jardel missed a good chance as he fell trying to connect with Bruno N'Gotty's flick and then, shortly afterwards, he forced a fingertip save from Oakes as he tried to stab the ball home from near the penalty spot.

  In the 65^th minute Wolves almost grabbed a second after Jaaskelainen and Cameron challenged for the ball two yards outside the Bolton box. The ball ran to Miller who lobbed it towards goal only for Kevin Nolan to hook clear from six-yards out.

  Oakes made a good save from Okocha and then the keeper showed fine reactions to keep out a bouncing header from Thome following a Djorkaeff corner.

  Another corner from the Frenchman should have led to Bolton drawing level but, after Glen Little had nodded the ball on, the unmarked Jardel headed wide from six-yards out.

  But, five minutes from the end, Davies earned a point for Bolton when he drove the ball home with an angled shot after controlling a cross from Little.

  Hassan Kachloul then came on for a brief debut in the club's colours.

  Wolves: Oakes, Irwin, Naylor, Cameron, Craddock, Butler, Newton (Kachloul 85), Rae, Iversen (Miller 45), Ince, Kennedy.
Unused subs: Murray, Gudjonsson, Okoronkwo.

Referee: M. Dean.

Attendance: 27,043.

Academy Results

Newcastle United 4 Wolves Under 19s 3 (O'Connor, Mulligan - pen, own goal)