The boss was very pleased with the three points, and felt they were deserved the victory after Marcus Tavernier’s goal inside the opening five minutes was the difference between the two sides.
Reflecting on the game, Iraola said he was ‘very happy’.
Match report:
“I think it was, I wouldn't say a must win for us because it's the first game of the season at home, but it was important for us to win the first game because now also we have difficult games, so it gives us some confidence,” he said.
“Also the clean sheet and game wise, I like more the first half than the second half. But even without playing well the second half, I think we haven't conceded basically any chance the second half. So let's take the positives.”
(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire) It was a rapid start from the Cherries, getting a strong foothold in the game from the first minute.
The sides traded early chances, both seeing efforts go over the bar, but Tavernier’s opening goal was a vintage goal from an Iraola side.
The high press from Bournemouth saw Tyler Adams dispossess Jean-Ricner Bellegarde not far outside the Wolves box, with the ball falling to Antoine Semenyo.
He played it to Tavernier in space on the edge of the box, and he shot home via a big deflection and the underside of the crossbar.
Asked about the goal, Iraola said: “I don't care who scores, but it's good that he had one goal there. I think it's important.
“I think we started really strong the game.
“First 30 minutes, I loved how we started with intensity, recovering the balls very high, attacking well the spaces, and we scored one.
(Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire) “We had especially Antoine has had a big, big chance, hit the crossbar, but I think we were doing what we wanted.”
Defensively, the Cherries were solid too, restricting Wolves to very few clear-cut chances, in what was an encouraging defensive showing after conceding four at Liverpool last week.
Iraola was pleased to keep a clean sheet, and said: “I think Petro [Djordje Petrovic] has had I think only one save, but I think on the distribution he has been very good today, he’s improved a lot.
“And also defensively I think we've even finished better than we started. Even today's game, to finish it with a 1-0 is good for us.
“We were in a really uncomfortable situation at the end because we were not conceding chances, but it was still 1-0.
“So every long free kick, every long throw in could mean some danger and probably we should have killed the game.
“But we haven't suffered even with the 1-0, I don't remember any big chances from Wolves.”