Preston North End 2 Wolves 1

Suddenly that five point gap to the play-offs is looking more like a chasm for Mick McCarthy’s faltering Wolves, writes Mark Douglas.

Defeat at Deepdale doesn’t quite kill off Wolves’ promotion hopes for another year but it certainly hastens their demise – and cranks up the frustration on and off the pitch.

While it took a Simon Whaley thunderbolt and a decidedly suspect penalty decision to blow sad Wolves off course in storm hit Lancashire it was, in truth, more of the same from the Molineux men.

Here was the season wrapped up neatly in 90 or so minutes – a first half of joyless, gritty efficiency followed by 10 minutes of terrific football that was ultimately undermined by rank defensive errors.

Granted it was a better overall display than Southampton last week and for that brief spell after half-time an Andy Keogh-inspired Wolves really did play some cracking stuff as they briefly laid seige to the Lilywhites goal.

But for the hardy travelling souls who braved the elements on a night of plunging temperatures and gale force winds that passing glimpse of attacking football was pretty scant reward after another night that rammed home just how far Wolves are from the promotion standard.

For while results elsewhere meant McCarthy’s men lost no ground on the top six, we should be under no illusions: this defeat represents a serious dent in the credibility of the message coming out of Molineux earlier this week.

Read the full report in the Express & Star.

Preston North End 2 Wolves 1

Suddenly that five point gap to the play-offs is looking more like a chasm for Mick McCarthy’s faltering Wolves, writes Mark Douglas.

Defeat at Deepdale doesn’t quite kill off Wolves’ promotion hopes for another year but it certainly hastens their demise – and cranks up the frustration on and off the pitch.

While it took a Simon Whaley thunderbolt and a decidedly suspect penalty decision to blow sad Wolves off course in storm hit Lancashire it was, in truth, more of the same from the Molineux men.

Here was the season wrapped up neatly in 90 or so minutes – a first half of joyless, gritty efficiency followed by 10 minutes of terrific football that was ultimately undermined by rank defensive errors.

Granted it was a better overall display than Southampton last week and for that brief spell after half-time an Andy Keogh-inspired Wolves really did play some cracking stuff as they briefly laid seige to the Lilywhites goal.

But for the hardy travelling souls who braved the elements on a night of plunging temperatures and gale force winds that passing glimpse of attacking football was pretty scant reward after another night that rammed home just how far Wolves are from the promotion standard.

For while results elsewhere meant McCarthy’s men lost no ground on the top six, we should be under no illusions: this defeat represents a serious dent in the credibility of the message coming out of Molineux earlier this week.

Seven points from nine games was the target McCarthy set on Monday after a weekend of favourable results saw them again dreaming of an unlikely advance on the top six from the foothills of mid-table.

But the harsh reality of life in the Championship has been an unwelcome incursion on Wolves’ promotion hopes too many times this season – and so it was again against a Preston side who are now 31 games unbeaten when they play under the Tuesday night lights.

Fortune – or lack of it – played its part again on 59 minutes as referee Jonathan Moss brought Wolves’ tentative momentum to a shuddering halt with a deeply contentious penalty decision.

Callum Davidson dutifully dispatched the spot kick but on reflection there wasn’t much Jody Craddock could have done to get his right leg out of the way of Chris Brown as his momentum carried him into the box.

Up until that point Wolves had looked a decent bet to hang on for the priceless three points. And even after that a point would have been a useful return until more defensive hari kari saw Whaley allowed yards of space to turn and lash a fine effort past a helpless Wayne Hennessey.

It left Preston – whose jubiliant supporters rejoiced in the prospect of simply staying in the division at the final whistle – just five points short of a Wolves side who still harbour hopes of a top six challenge.

That is the stark reality faced by McCarthy as he looks to rebuild the fragile confidence of Wolves players who look like they too believe the play offs are a bridge too far.

Ahead of a quickfire return to the North West on Saturday, McCarthy must decide whether to persevere with this away day system that appears to catch the Molineux mood of defiance perfectly.

Sure enough it was in with the old reliables and the 4-5-1 system as Wolves sought to plot a steady course through the first half at Deepdale.

Michael Gray and Jody Craddock were ushered in, with the inconsistent Matt Jarvis dropping to the bench along with Kevin Foley, still struggling through his first Molineux crisis of confidence.

Such is the size of the Molineux squad these days, McCarthy’s selection will always ensure one or two eyebrow raising omissions. This time it was the turn of Seyi Olofinjana to miss out entirely while Freddy Eastwood, the star cameo who added that refreshing touch of inspiration against Southampton, didn’t travel through illness. Jay Bothroyd and Darren Ward, once again, were missing in action.

McCarthy’s boldness almost paid off instantly as Darren Potter sliced open the Preston defence within just 87 seconds with a superbly weighted through ball to Dave Edwards.

But the midfielder – advancing menacingly on goalkeeper Andy Lonergan – couldn’t apply a finishing touch and his shot rebounded off the body of the Preston keeper.

How things might have been different if that or Wolves’ other gilt edged chance on 24 minutes had spun in rather than inched wide of the goal frame.

The latter saw Karl Henry break from midfield before slipping a clever ball into the patch of Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, whose low drive took a wicked deflection off Sean St Ledger and rolled agonisingly wide of Lonergan’s right post.

In a first half desperately low on entertainment value, Preston were reduced to only a handful of chances themselves.

St Ledger’s header from a Darren Carter corner flashed narrowly over the crossbar, while Whaley gave a warning of what was to come with a fierce low drive which Hennessey claimed smartly.

A wretched game improved drastically as Wolves went in search of the win by sending on Andy Keogh and reverting to 4-4-2 after the break.

Preston broke first with a Billy Jones drive flying past Hennessey’s post, but it was the visitors who took the contest by the scruff of its neck as Keogh rose to prominence.

The striker was outstanding when Wolves began their march into the play offs with a 1-0 win at Deepdale last season, and on the same turf he made an breathless impact as he dovetailed superbly with strike partner Ebanks-Blake.

Eight minutes after coming on he had just reward for his enterprise when, fed by Henry’s neat pass, he glided past Youl Mawene and smacked a low drive past Lonergan for his eighth goal of an injury hit campaign.

Advantage Wolves – but a contentious spot kick sent them back to square one just six minutes later.

McCarthy tried to wrestle back momentum with an attacking double substitution that brought Matt Jarvis and Darron Gibson into things on 68 minutes, but neither could get to grips with a frantic but error strewn contest.

Wolves played the ultimate price in the final 10 minutes when they gave the ball away once too often and Whaley punished them with his stinging drive past Hennessey.