Adama Traore came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal of the season as Wolves beat Southampton 3-1 at Molineux.
Both sides were unbeaten in all competitions since December 11, with Wolves having won 1-0 at Man Utd last time out, while Southampton beat Brentford 4-1 in midweek, their biggest win of the season, and it showed.
The visitors won an incredible seven corners in the first 20 minutes, dominating the opening quarter of the game, albeit without really testing Jose Sa in the Wolves goal, The home team, against the run of play, then made the breakthrough seven minutes before half-time.
Daniel Podence fed Raul Jimenez in the box and after the ball broke to Rayan Ait-Nouri, the Frenchman was upended by Jan Bednarek, with referee Michael Salisbury initially pointing for a corner.
However, after an age, the official was told to look at the incident again on the pitch-side TV monitor by VAR Robert Jones, before deciding the Saints defender had caught his man. Raul Jimenez coolly rolled home the resulting penalty as Wolves led at the break.
The hosts doubled their lead just before the hour-mark thanks to Conor Coady’s tap-in – the skipper’s first Premier League goal at Molineux – after Max Kilman had headed Joao Moutinho’s free-kick against the post.
However, despite appearing to be cruising to three points, Wolves were then given an almighty late scare as James Ward-Prowse curled home a 35-yard free-kick with six minutes to go. It was the midfielder’s 12th in the Premier League, leaving him now only behind David Beckham in the competition’s all-time list, with his manager calling it the best of the England international’s career.
The visitors were inches away from levelling matters when Romain Perraud headed against both the bar and post in the final minute, before Traore – who had seconds earlier blazed over an open goal – ended the game as a contest by calmly slotting home in injury time.
The visitors were inches away from levelling matters when Romain Perraud headed against both the bar and post in the final minute, before Traore – who had seconds earlier blazed over an open goal – ended the game as a contest by calmly slotting home in injury time.
As a result, Bruno Lage’s side move up to eighth place after a fourth win in five in all competitions, while Southampton’s five-match unbeaten run came to an end as they stay 12th in the table.