Hearts 0
Wolves 2 (Halford 4, Ward 18)
Wolves ended their pre-season travels with a comfortable victory over Hearts at Tynecastle with early goals from Greg Halford and Stephen Ward putting paid to the SPL team.
Kevin Doyle skippered the side for the first time as Wolves kicked-off defending the end of Tynecastle that housed around 400 visiting supporters. After a long throw from George Elokobi and a corner from Nenad Milijaš had been cleared, Wolves moved into a fourth minute lead.
Doyle was clearly pulled back by Craig Thomson on the edge of the Hearts area and Halford curled a superb free-kick over the wall and into the net.
Within two minutes it took a fine save from home keeper Marian Kello to prevent a second as Doyle raced onto a long clearance. From a tight angle he attempted to clip the ball into the net but Kello just managed to deflect it away.
Wolves were well on top and they threatened again after Milijaš had been fouled by Ian Black wide on the right. The Serb whipped over the free-kick and Doyle's glancing header flew into the arms of Kello.
But Wolves pressure paid off again in the 18th minute as Ward ran in at the near post to power home a header from Halford's long throw in.
Thomson got plenty of power behind a 25-yard shot but Marcus Hahnemann didn't have to move his feet to collect the ball. The Halford and Ward combination almost paid off again with another long throw but Ward's bouncing header was fielded by Kello from under the bar.
After being on the backfoot for most of the opening half-hour, Hearts twice went close to netting in a three minute spell. Suso Santana hit an angled drive that Hahnemann needed two attempts to gather at his near post before Darren Barr headed wide after David Templeton had lifted a free-kick into the box.
Wolves were soon back on the attack and Kello made a great save in keeping out Andy Keogh's volley after Doyle had nodded down Elokobi's centre. From the corner conceded, taken by Milijaš, Doyle flashed a header inches wide of the far post.
Just before the break Ryan Stevenson wasn't far away with a low shot from the edge of the box.
Half-Time: Hearts 0 Wolves 2
Geoffrey Mjangi Bia replaced Keogh for the start of the new half which was five minutes old when Calum Elliot's diving header following Santana's cross went straight into the arms of Hahnemann.
There was a scramble in the home six-yard box after Ward had back heeled Dave Edwards's low cross but the home defence eventually cleared the danger.
Mujangi Bia beat two men on a run into the Hearts area before driving the ball narrowly wide of the far post before Matt Hill replaced Elokobi in the Wolves defence.
Templeton earned the crowd's applause with a clever shot on the turn from the edge of the box that wasn't far away, and then Doyle struck the outside of the post after playing a one-two with Ward.
Another four changes were then made by Mick McCarthy with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Sam Vokes, Dave Jones and, back at his old club, Christophe Berra replacing Ward, Doyle, Milijaš and the impressive Steven Mouyokolo who had won virtually every header he had challenged for.
Within seconds of his introduction Jones ran half the length of the field beating three challenges before planting the ball just wide of the post as he attempted to beat Kello.
Hearts: Kello, C. Thomson, Wallace, Mrowiec (J. Thomson 63), Barr, Zaliukas (capt), Santana, Black (McGowan 63), Elliot, Stevenson, Templeton (Novikovas 78).
Unused subs: Balogh, Kucharski, Smith, McDonald.
Wolves: Hahnemann, Halford, Elokobi (Hill 63), Edwards, Stearman, Mouokolo (Berra 73), Milijaš (Jones 73), Foley, Doyle (capt) (Ebanks-Blake 73), Keogh (Mujangi Bia 45), Ward (Jones 73).
Unused subs: Ikeme, Jarvis, Henry, Guedioura, Craddock, Fletcher.
Referee: D. McDonald.
Attendance: 5,660.
