A stunning Pedro Goncalves free kick wasn't enough as Wolves U21s were beaten 2-1 by Mansfield Town in their second group game of this season's Checkatrade Trophy at the One Call Stadium.
The young Wolves side were looking to get their first win on the board in this competition after registering a point in their opening fixture away at Scunthorpe in September.
It didn't start well for Wolves as the home side took the lead inside five minutes. Jacob Mellis found himself in space inside the Wolves box before sliding the ball beyond the onrushing Will Norris.
Wolves grew into the game as Niall Ennis forced a smart save from Conrad Logan in the Mansfield goal.
It was 2-0 just minutes after the interval. Will Norris came out to punch a Mansfield free kick from the right hand side. The ball fell to Mal Benning on the edge of the penalty area who fired it beyond the Wolves 'keeper to double the Stags lead.
Goncalves struck a stunning free kick from 20 yards with 15 minutes remaining but it wasn't enough for Wolves as they suffered their first defeat of the season in this competition.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Pedro Goncalves' picked out the top left-hand corner with a sublime free kick but it wasn't enough to earn Wolves anything from the game.
QUOTES
Rob Edwards said: "I'm disappointed, no one likes to lose games. I can never question the commitment or spirit of the group but I thought we lacked knowledge of the game at the beginning of both halves.
"We didn't control the game enough but I thought in the second half we did show some really good quality."
COMING UP
Wolves Under 23s return to league action with a trip to the south coast where they will face Radhi Jaïdi’s Southampton on Friday 19th October at St Mary's Stadium.
NEXT FIVE
19/10 Southampton (A)
26/10 Manchester United (H)
02/11 Stoke City (A)
06/11 Lincoln City (A)
26/11 Aston Villa (H)
TEAMS
Wolves: Norris, Iorfa, Kilman, John, Buur, Diallo, Alves (Samuels 80'), Giles, Ennis, Ashley-Seal, Goncalves.
Unused subs: Sondergaard, Thompson, Richards, Perry, Crabtree, Cundle.
Bookings: Goncalves - foul, 67'; Ashley-Seal - foul, 73'; Ennis - foul, 77'; John - foul 90+1'; Kilman - foul, 90+3'.
Mansfield: Logan, White, Benning, Preston, Pearce, Mellis, Atkinson, Butcher (Khan 79'), Elsnik, Sterling-James (Hamilton 60'), Graham (Rose 65').
Unused subs: Olejnik, Walker, Law, Gibbens.
