Wolves 3 (Edwards 3, Costa 57, Caveleiro-pen 84)
Bristol City 2 (Abraham 38, Flint 44)
After dominating the early stages of the game and taking an early lead, Wolves went into the break a goal down. But a second half fightback saw Paul Lambert’s team achieving a first home win since September although the contest was to finish in controversial circumstances.
Wolves were unchanged for the visit of the West Country side and after they had kicked-off attacking the North Bank end, the Molineux men moved ahead inside three minutes.
Nouha Dicko won a corner on the right and Heldar Costa’s perfectly delivered flag-kick was glanced home by the head of Dave Edwards. It was the Welsh midfielder’s sixth goal of the season.
City won a corner themselves a minute later and Josh Brownhill’s kick caused a few moments of consternation in the home defence before the ball was finally cleared.
Carl Ikeme fielded a snapshot from Tammy Abraham and then Luke Freeman drilled a low effort well wide as the visitors looked to get back into the game.
On 20 minutes Ivan Cavaleiro cut into the box and unleashed a shot that City keeper Frank Fielding did well to keep out. The ball ran to Edwards and he looked odds on for his second of the game but, again, Fielding managed to block.
Adam Matthews went into the book for fouling Matt Doherty who was trying to take a return pass from Cavaleiro. The winger took the resulting free-kick from wide on the left with the City defence clearing.
Danny Batth then caught Lee Tomlin right on the line of the box to the left of the Wolves goal. But any home fears were quickly eased as Tomlin fired the free-kick into the side netting.
However, after Marlon Pack had been yellow carded for pulling back Bright Enobakhare, and totally against the run of play, City drew level in the 38th minute as Abraham raced onto Tomlin’s through ball and shot past Ikeme from the edge of the box.
Worse was to follow as, in the 44th minute, the Robins took the lead when Aden Flint’s close range header from Brownhill’s corner ended in the back of the net.
There was still time before the break for Cavaleiro to set up Doherty whose low drive was turned away by Fielding.
Half-Time: Wolves 1 Bristol City 2
Doherty figured again after the resumption when he had played a one-two with Enobakhare. But, after cutting into the box, the defender’s shot was blocked.
Richard Stearman then made an outstanding block by throwing himself in front of a dangerous effort from Abraham who then had a header blocked following another corner from Brownhill.
After Conor Coady had been booked for a late challenge on Bobby Reid, there was a chance for Enobakhare after good work by Jack Price had set up the chance but the youngster snatched at his shot and Fielding saved with ease.
Wolves drew level in the 57th minute with a stunning goal from Costa. Coady hit a great cross from the right and Costa, waiting on the far side, hit a terrific volley that gave Fielding no chance.
City’s Head Coach, Lee Johnson, then made a double change sending on former Wolves defender Mark Little, and Callum O’Dowda, for Reid and Adam Matthews.
Freeman became the third City man to go into the book when he shoved Costa over on the right flank.
Dicko hit a low cross that Flint managed to cut out at the near post, and when Costa’s corner fell to the far side, Cavaleiro fed Doherty who cut into the box and hit a shot that was well saved by Fielding.
Abraham shot high up into the Stan Cullis Stand after he ran onto a Tomlin cross, before Wolves made a double switch up front with Joe Mason and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson taking over from Dicko and Enobakhare.
Seconds after their introduction, the new men almost reaped an instant dividend. Bodvarsson crossed and Mason flicked the ball towards goal only for Flint to clear at the expense of a corner. Edwards’s header from Costa’s flag-kick drew a tremendous reflex save from Fielding.
Wolves regained the lead in the 84th minute from the spot after Flint had clearly handled in the box and Cavaleiro lashed home the penalty.
City piled forward in search of a point saving goal and they were close when Abraham deflected Tomlin’s drive onto the roof of the net.
But that was nothing compared to the dramatic escape Wolves enjoyed in the dying seconds. It was in the fifth minute of added time that Brownhill floated in a free-kick that O’Dowda headed back across goal. Pack ran in to power a close range header that Doherty got his head to and, as the ball dropped down, Stearman hooked it off the line.
Almost immediately the referee blew for time and he was surrounded by City players who were convinced the ball had crossed the line. But the official ruled otherwise and, for the first time in six home games, Wolves claimed all three points.
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Coady, Edwards, Stearman, Batth (capt), Costa, Price, Dicko (Bodvarsson 78), Enobakhare (Mason 78), Cavaleiro.
Unused subs: Burgoyne, Saville, Iorfa, Hause, Ronan.
Bookings: Coady (53 – foul), Cavaleiro (90+1 – foul).
City: Fielding, Bryan, Flint, Brownhill, Abraham, Tomlin, Reid (O’Dowda 66), Freeman (Wilbraham 86), Pack (capt), Magnusson, Matthews (Little 66).
Unused subs: Smith, Engvall, Paterson, Lucic.
Bookings: Matthews (31 – foul), Pack (37 – foul), Freeman (67 – foul).
Referee: J. Adcock.
Attendance: 24,669.
