Conor Chaplin's shot led to Ipswich Town's opener.Conor Chaplin's shot led to Ipswich Town's opener. (Image: PA)
SCRUFFY OPENER
Two teams who had lost their last three. Two teams locked on nine points after 15 games. The stakes were high. It made for an anxious start to the game.
Ipswich foul, Ipswich foul, Ipswich dispossessed. Wolves foul, Wolves foul, Wolves foul. Omari Hutchinson cross unconvincingly punched away. Dara O'Shea big diagonal drifts out of touch. Those are the notes I made during the opening 14 minutes.
A scruffy goal broke the deadlock in a scrappy game.
O'Shea's big boot up the line was hopeful. Delap, looking re-energised, got a little fortunate with his first touch before outmuscling Nelson Semedo to reach the byline and pick out Hutchinson with a smart cut-back.
The ball got stuck under Hutchinson's feet, but he showed great composure to dance his way past on-rushing keeper Sam Johnstone and shoot. Matt Doherty blocked on the line. Conor Chaplin's touch was crisp, his shot even crisper. The rifled effort smashed into Toti Gomes' face, ricocheted into team-mate Doherty at close quarters and rebounded back into the goal.
Fortunate, yes, but Town had earnt their luck. They were certainly due some.
Jens Cajuste rides a challenge from Andre.Jens Cajuste rides a challenge from Andre. (Image: PA)
NO KILLER SECOND
Wolves fans had already started their anti ownership chants before the opening goal. The volume on those went up a notch once their team went behind.
When Jean-Ricner Bellegarde lifted a good chance well over the bar there were howls of frustration. When Doherty took a throw-in after a moment of hesitation there were sarcastic cheers. The half-time whistle was greeted by resounding boos. Operation 'turn the home crowd' was very much going to plan.
After the restart, Town defended with organisation in a 5-4-1 shape and, crucially, posed a threat themselves whenever the ball was turned over. A killer second goal didn't come though.
Following some strong back-to-goal play by Delap, Wes Burns saw a stinging angled shot kept out by the strong hand of Johnstone. An incisive move consisting of a superb Chaplin pass and teasing Burns cross ended with Delap kneeing the ball wide from close-range.
Aro Muric made several high claims and solid stops.Aro Muric made several high claims and solid stops. (Image: PA)
PRAISE FOR MURIC
When Matheus Cunha's angled shot flashed inside the near post for 1-1, the social media meltdown over keeper Aro Muric started.
Unlike the goals conceded at the death against Brentford and Bournemouth though, this one was hardly a howler. It was a shot hit with real venom. Harry Clarke sliding in to try and rectify the situation wouldn't have made it easy to read either. Several Wolves players being allowed to head the ball forwards in the build-up was arguably the bigger issue.
Given the intense spotlight put on him over the last few days, I thought Muric showed really good character in this game.
I lost count of the number of strong punches over traffic and confident high catches he made. He was cool with the ball at his feet and he made some smart stops when called upon too.
To me, it feels like some are almost willing him to fail now in order to vindicate their own entrenched view point. That's sad.
Mario Lemina reacts to a missed chance for Wolves.Mario Lemina reacts to a missed chance for Wolves. (Image: PA)
WEATHERING A STORM
It's amazing how a goal can completely change a game.
The atmosphere inside Molineux went from frustrated to fired up in an instant. The Wolves players fed off that. For a 15 minute spell, the Blues were hanging on.
Cameron Burgess made a last-ditch tackle on Strand Larsen, Muric made saves from Larsen, Cunha (twice) and Tommy Doyle, while Strand Larsen put a big chance just wide when meeting Goncalo Guedes' cross on the stretch.
Here we go again... This writer will admit that he was already readying words on 'more points dropped from a winning position'. It just seemed a case of whether it was going to be two or three.
Match-winner Jack Taylor (left) joins Harry Clarke in the traditional post-victory fist pump.Match-winner Jack Taylor (left) joins Harry Clarke in the traditional post-victory fist pump. (Image: PA)
STOPPAGE-TIME!
In the 90th minute, a Town counter ended with Davis going down cheaply in the box. Seconds later, Jack Clarke saw a shot charged down on the edge of the area. Having ridden out a storm, the Blues decided they wouldn't just settle for a point.
Ali Al-Hamadi twisted and turned before firing the wrong side of the near post, then Hutchinson soon saw a fierce angled shot beaten away. When Davis' cross was blocked behind, a huge roar came from the spread out away section.
Wolves have conceded the most set-piece goals of anyone in the Premier League this season, while Ipswich had gone close from plenty. We should therefore have known what was coming.
Jack Clarke's inswinging delivery was pin-point. Taylor may have been left unmarked, but it's a great leap and headed finish under pressure. Al-Hamadi was standing near the keeper in an offside position. I don't think he did enough to affect things though. Thankfully, there was no VAR nonsense.
Football's a funny old game. Just six days on from being on the end of a devastating stoppage-time goal against Bournemouth, Town had scored a dramatic late winner themselves.
Finally, a fine margins match had tipped the way of McKenna's men. By the law of averages, that was always going to happen at some point.
The late goals conceded against Brentford (90+7), Leicester (90+4) and Bournemouth (90+5) account for four dropped points. Taking into consideration Sam Morsy's late leveller at Southampton back in September (90+5), that's now three points gained in added time.
Jack Taylor has now scored in the top five divisions of English football.Jack Taylor has now scored in the top five divisions of English football. (Image: PA)
JACK'S JOURNEY
Jack Taylor was outstanding on his full Premier League debut against Bournemouth. He will have been gutted to have been dropped for Jens Cajuste in this one.
There's no room for sulkers in this squad though. The Republic of Ireland international, as he's done so many times this season, gave the team a real injection of energy off the bench once the excellent Cajuste tired.
Leaping header, shirt ripped off, followed by a textbook knee slide that smoothly transitioned into a hurdle of the advertising hoardings right in front of some away end 'limbs'. Hang it in the Louvre.
Taylor has now scored in the National League, League Two, League One, Championship and Premier League, as well as FA Cup and League Cup.
He joins Sammie Szmodics in bagging in the top five divisions of English football. Sam Morsy and Conor Chaplin have scored in all of the top four.
Six of this starting XI were with Town in League One just two years ago. Taylor was playing in League One for Peterborough just two years months ago. Jack Clarke was playing in League One for Sunderland just two years ago. Al-Hamadi was playing in League Two for AFC Wimbledon less than a year ago.
What didn't go unnoticed for me, either, was 31-cap England international Kalvin Phillips, an unused sub for a third game in a row, enjoying the celebrations as much as anyone else.
The group has evolved. The special spirit remains the same.
Wes Burns ended up having the last laugh at Molineux.Wes Burns ended up having the last laugh at Molineux. (Image: PA)
BURNS HAS LAST LAUGH
At the end of the first half, Wes Burns and Rayan Ait-Nouri tangled near the touchline before squaring up, forehead to forehead. Burns backed off, then Ait-Nouri raised a hand to the face. The referee calmed things down and the pair shook hands. Burns gestured as if to say 'but you can't touch my face'. Ait-Nouri responded with another provocative tap of Burns' cheek. Seconds after the restart, the Wolves man clattered Burns and was booked.
Burns had the last laugh. Ait-Nouri lost his head at the final whistle and had to be restrained by several staff and team-mates. Cunha went wild too and ended up knocking the glasses off an Ipswich security man's face.
'This is embarrassing' chanted the home fans. They'd seen similar scenes with midfielder Mario Lemina after a defeat at West Ham earlier in the week.
The melee spilled into the tunnel. Ait-Nouri received a second booking dismissal. There have been unconfirmed reports that Delap was booked too. If true, the Town front man will serve a one-game ban for the visit of Newcastle on Saturday. That would be hugely frustrating.
Ben Johnson, Sam Morsy, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis celebrate at the final whistle.Ben Johnson, Sam Morsy, Cameron Burgess and Leif Davis celebrate at the final whistle. (Image: PA)
HUGE WIN
This long-awaited return to the Premier League has been an emotional rollercoaster.
Optimism was high after some spirited early performances led to a 2-2 home draw against Champions League side Aston Villa.
Pessimism took over when flat defeats to Everton and West Ham were followed by late heartbreak against Brentford and Leicester.
Belief returned after a win at Tottenham was followed up by an entertaining home draw with Man United.
Doubts came back in after three single goal defeats in a week to Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
Winning this six-pointer - to move three clear of Wolves and within two of Leicester - is a timely confidence boost.
I've got a feeling it's going to be like this all season.
The next four matches are against Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Brighton, Man City and Liverpool. There are undoubtedly going to be some difficult winter days.
It's important never to get too despondent though. Nine wins was enough to keep Forest up last year. Town now need seven victories from their last 22 to reach that tally.
That's a huge ask, but it's important never to write this manager and team off. Might I remind you that the month of May includes games against Everton, Leicester and West Ham.