Wolves 4 (R Gomes 19 & 22, Jimenez pen 55 & James 84) Stoke 1 (Gallagher 2)
Wolves added a compressive Molineux win to a successful week’s work, as they came from behind to beat Stoke City and claim a third victory in eight days.
Sam Gallagher’s stunning strike after just two minutes had proved a set back, but Wolves were in front by the break after Rodrigo Gomes pounced on two loose balls to score his first two goals of the season.
Raul Jimenez was then fouled after the break and tucked away his penalty, before Jordan James, on his Molineux debut, finished off a fine move with a confident finish to round off the win.
Starts don’t come much worse than what Wolves suffered, but there was little they could do as Gallagher picked up the ball 30 yards from goal and rifled an unstoppable drive into the top corner to give the visitors an early lead.
Wolves had to respond and inevitably as Fer Lopez started getting on the ball, things started to happen. He had a shot blocked on seven minutes, but Sorba Thomas should have doubled City’s lead when he fired wide after Jose Sa had spilled Gallagher’s effort.
Wolves made the most of that let off when Lopez forced a mistake high up the pitch, and although Viktor Johansson parried Jimenez’s effort, Gomes reacted first to fire the rebound home for his first goal of the season.
Like London busses, his second arrived straight away. Mateus Mane was the creator with tremendous work down the left and Johansson parried his low cross into the path of Gomes, who duly obliged again by gobbling it up and completing the turnaround before the break.
Half-time | Wolves 2-1 Stoke
Building on that lead will have been Peixoto’s message and less than ten minutes into the second half Wolves had the perfect opportunity to do just that. Jimenez was clipped when trying to bring down a corner and, just like against Blackburn Rovers, tucked home his penalty from the spot to give his side breathing space.
All in old gold enjoyed the second half, and both Lopez and Mane came close to getting themselves on the scoresheet, while Marshall Munetsi had a good opening he couldn’t capitalise on.
Instead, substitute James wrapped up the win with seven minutes remaining. His brilliant ball to Lopez started the move and he continued his run, which was perfectly timed to meet the cut back, and on his Molineux debut James confidently whipped into the bottom corner to complete the win.
Full-time | Wolves 4-1 Stoke
Wolves | Sa, Tchatchoua, Djiga, Toti, H Bueno, Andre (Traore 73), Munetsi (Doyle 77), Lopez, Mane (Chirewa 83), Gomes (James 77), Jimenez (Armstrong 73).
Unused subs | Virginia, Lima, Wolfe, S Bueno.
Stoke | Johnansson, Johnson, Lawal, Wilmot, Bocat, Soumare (Rigo 85), Galbraith, Junho (Manhoef 62), Gallagher (Martin 85), Thomas, Hirst (Bozenik 74).
Unused subs | Griffiths, Graham, Anderson, Giani, Pearson.
