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Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Southampton. Premier League.

MolineuxAttendance31,147.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

  • I Cavaleiro (79th minute)
  • J Otto (87th minute)

Southampton 0

    Wolves 2-0 Southampton: Ivan Cavaleiro comes off bench to inspire hosts victory

    Report and highlights as Wolves climb to eighth

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    Wolves 2-0 Southampton

    Ivan Cavaleiro came off the bench to score just moments into his Premier League debut to set Wolves on their way to a 2-0 win over Southampton.

    Cavaleiro struck 11 minutes from time at Molineux and Jonny (87) added a second late on to secure the three points for the home side.

    Southampton were the better side for long spells, especially in the second half, but when Wesley Hoedt failed to deal with Adama Traore's low cross, Raul Jimenez teed up Cavaleiro to fire in the opener.

    Matt Doherty was then allowed to get to the byline and pick out Jonny, who had the time to initially miscontrol the ball before firing past Alex McCarthy from close range.

    Player ratings

    Home Team: Patricio (7), Doherty (8), Bennett (6), Coady (6), Boly (7), Jonny (7), Neves (7), Moutinho (7), Costa (6), Jota (7), Jimenez (6)

    Subs: Traore (6), Cavaleiro (7), Bonatini (N/A)

    Away Team: McCarthy (6), Cedric (6), Vestergaard (4), Hoedt (6), Bertand (5), Redmond (6), Hojbjerg (6), Lemina (6), Elyounoussi (6), Ings (6), Austin (5)

    Subs: Armstrong (5), Gabbiadini (6)

    Man of the match: Matt Doherty

    Wolves' victory lifts them up to eighth, a point outside the top six, while Southampton drop to 15th.

    Wolves settled quickest on a bright day in the Black Country and had a flurry of opportunities in the first 15 minutes as their front three began to find space between the Southampton defence and midfield.

    Doherty headed wide from a free-kick but the best chance fell to Jonny, whose right-footed effort from 15 yards was pushed away by Alex McCarthy, after the ball had fallen to him following good play from Helder Costa to free Doherty on the right.

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    Southampton gradually worked their way into the match and ended the half the better side and could easily have been in front but for a good stop from Rui Patricio to deny Mohamed Elyounoussi when the winger was put in by Nathan Redmond clipped pass.

    Team news

    After making nine changes for the defeat on penalties to Leicester in midweek, Wolves revert to the same XI that have started each of their six previous league games.

    Southampton recalled Danny Ings, who was ineligible for the game at Liverpool last weekend, as Mark Hughes made three changes. Charlie Austin and Mohamed Elyounoussi also came in, with Shane Long (toe), Oriol Romeu and Matt Targett dropping out.

    After a scrappy opening to the second period, it was Southampton who seized the initiative and kept Wolves penned inside their own half.

    Danny Ings saw his shot blocked after a quick turn in the box and substitute Stuart Armstrong forced a save from Patricio from a similar position by the right corner of the six-yard box.

    Wolves held on though and it was two substitutes of their own who proved decisive. Traore attacked the box and fired in a cross, Hoedt cut it out but slipped in doing so, allowing Jimenez to play the ball into the path of Cavaleiro, who thumped the ball high into the net.

    Jonny during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton FC at Molineux on September 29, 2018 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
    Image: Jonny scored Wolves' second late on to seal the win

    Jimenez was denied a goal when McCarthy dived at full-stretch to flick the header over the bar with a fantastic save but the Saints goalkeeper was beaten again by the end, Doherty brushing past Armstrong weak challenge and finding Jonny, who overcame a poor first touch to ram the ball home.

    Man of the match - Matt Doherty

    Wolves were a long way form their best despite the result at Molineux but in Doherty they have a player they know they can rely on, even when things aren't clicking for the rest of the team. The wing-back was always available down the right and was involved in almost every positive moment for Wolves going forward, including providing the assist for the second goal. Defensively he was solid too, helping to keep Nathan Redmond quiet. An all-round impressive, if understated, display.

    The managers

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    Nuno Espírito Santo felt it was a tough but deserved win for his Wolves side against Southampton in the Premier League

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    Mark Hughes said that Southampton’s defeat was difficult to accept as he felt that they were in control for most of the game

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    Ivan Cavaleiro during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton FC at Molineux on September 29, 2018 in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
    Image: Ivan Cavaleiro scored less than two minutes after coming on
    • Wolves are now unbeaten in five league matches (W3 D2 L0), their best run in the top-flight since November 1981 (also five unbeaten).
    • Southampton have taken just 13 points from a possible 45 under Mark Hughes in the Premier League (P15 W3 D4 L8).
    • Wolves' Ivan Cavaleiro scored on his Premier League debut just 94 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
    • This was only Wolves' 10th Premier League victory by more than one goal, and their first since winning 3-1 against Wigan Athletic in November 2011.

    What's next?

    Wolves have a week to prepare for their next fixture, away at Crystal Palace at 3pm next Saturday while Southampton travel to Merseyside for a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Everton on Wednesday.

    The Saints return to league action with a tricky home fixture against Chelsea at St Mary's next Sunday, live on Sky Sports.

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