Wolves 2 (Byrne 47, Doherty 90+4)
Bristol City 1 (Flint 77)
A Matt Doherty header deep into stoppage time gave Wolves a much needed boost at the end of a scrappy affair against Bristol City. After a scrappy opening half Nathan Byrne gave Wanderers the lead but his goal was cancelled out by Aden Flint. Then came that dramatic finish.
Joe Mason and Kortney Hause returned to the starting eleven in place of injured duo Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Bjorn Sigurdarson.
There were two familiar faces in the City squad – defenders Scott Golbourne and substitute Mark Little.
Wolves kicked-off attacking the North Bank end but it wasn’t until the tenth minute that there was an attempt at goal. Mason was fouled three years outside the City box and Jeremy Helen’s free-kick skimmed the roof of the net as it went over.
Conor Coady ran down the left flank before slipping the ball inside to George Saville whose low drive was saved by Richard O’Donnell. The keeper couldn’t hold the ball but luck was with him as a defender cleared before Mason could capitalise.
Carl Ikeme’s first real taste of the action came in the 19th minute when Lee Tomlin broke into the box from the left and hit a low, angled effort that the keeper did well to turn away.
City skipper Marlon Pack struck a volley from 25-yards that was uncomfortably close to Ikeme’s right hand upright in a game largely devoid of flowing football and clear cut chances.
A Helan free-kick from wide on the right was flicked on by Mason and Coady got in a looping header that O’Donnell caught under his crossbar.
Luke Freeman lofted the ball high over the bar from the edge of the area before City almost made the breakthrough in first-half stoppage.
There was a suspicion of offside as Jonathan Kodjia hit a low shot from the tightest of angles. The ball rolled along, just a foot away from the line before going out beyond the far post but the linesman kept his flag down.
Half-Time; Wolves 0 Bristol City 0
Kevin McDonald didn’t reappear after the break with Michal Zyro taking his place.
And Molineux was finally lifted in the 47th minute as Wolves moved into the lead. Doherty did the donkey work taking the ball to the by-line and sending in a low cross that Byrne bundled in at the far post.
Golbourne almost turned the ball into his own net as he turned behind a cross from Zyro for the first of two successive Helan corners both of which tested the City defence.
Danny Batth averted the chance of a possible equaliser when he blocked Kodjia’s shot as they raced towards the home goal. The corner conceded was cleared.
With the half midway through, City made three changes with Aaron Wilbraham, Kieran Agard and Little replacing Kodjia, Scott Wagstaff and Adam Matthews respectively.
In the 72nd minute Zyro hammered the ball into the side netting after another good run from Doherty but City drew level five minutes later when Flint got his foot to Joe Bryan’s low centre at the back post to find the back of the net on the far side of the goal.
Kenny Jackett gave Connor Hunte his League debut when he sent the winger on in place of Byrne. And it was almost a sensational debut with Hunte seeing his shot defected behind after he had run into the box and taken a return pass from Zyro.
With the game deep into stoppage time Wolves were given a chance in the shape of a free-kick midway in the City half. Helan floated the ball over and Doherty charged in at the far post to head home (pictured).
In the few seconds that remained City almost grabbed an equaliser. Agard was gifted a free header as he connected with Golbourne’s cross but, to the relief of the home support, he was high and wide with his effort.
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Iorfa, Saville, Batth (capt), Hause, Byrne (Hunte 82), Coady, Mason (Enobakhare 85), McDonald (Gyro 45), Helan.
Unused subs: Martinez, Rowe, Price, Deslandes.
City: O’Donnell, Flint, Tomlin, Wagstaff (Agard 66), Golbourne, Freeman, Baker, Pack (capt), Kodjia (Wilbraham 66), Bryan, Matthews (Little 68).
Unused subs: Fielding, Reid, Pearce, Williams.
Referee: S. Duncan.
Attendance: 17,459.
