Boss Mick McCarthy revealed he delivered a post-match dressing down to his team after letting Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea "off the hook" at Molineux this afternoon.

A goal behind to Didier Drogba's well-worked opener, Wolves pressed forward after the interval and Kevin Foley and Adlene Guedioura were both denied by superb Petr Cech saves within an eight minute spell.

But Drogba latched onto Cech's kick to produce another clinical finish for Chelsea's second which proved the main cause of the Wolves boss's ire at a time when they were right in the game.

"I think we should have got something out of the game so I'm really annoyed," he said.

"I've had a bit of a 'chew' at the lads because we've lost a game and I don't think we should have done.

"Someone said 'well done' when we went in the dressing room but it wasn't well done because we got beat.

"It's always disappointing to get beat but we had the game by the scruff of the neck when they scored their second goal.

"Cech had just made a couple of really good saves and we'd had good chances and they were trying to slow the game down and take the sting out of it.

"I thought we were on top and really in the game and then we gave them a goal.

"I know Drogba's a good player but it was just a really poor piece of defending which let him in.

"It was a bit schoolboy really - I can't describe it any worse than that.

"It's down to the back four because we know how we should defend a kick down the middle.

"And that was it after the second goal - we could have walked off, it was a done deal.

"It demoralised all of us so much that it was hard to get going again.

"We had a couple of chances from throws but the reality was that we'd had our best spell in the game and we let them off the hook."

And the boss admitted he's starting to get aggrieved at talking about playing well against some of the division's leading lights - but still coming away with nothing.

He added:  "I've said to the lads, 'don't think for one minute I'm lambasting the performance because it's been good'.

"But I hate coming up here and saying we played well but we got beat - it hacks me off.

"We should have had something and we let them off the hook.

"They've gone away with a 2-0 win and people looking at it will say it was expected but anyone who was at the game will know it wasn't the full story.

"So I'm annoyed and disappointed.

"It's not just meant to happen that Chelsea come to Wolves and win - it shouldn't be a foregone conclusion.

"And we played well enough to get something.

"I'm the very best at giving players heart and belief and looking at the positives on Monday morning.

"But at this moment in time I'm not concerned about the heart and belief - I'm annoyed and disappointed that we lost against the champions-elect who've got fantastic players whichever team they put out.

"My only criticism today is that we had arguably the best team in the league with their keeper having to make saves and we let them off the hook."