New season, same problem.

What a pity Wolves’ best performance so far in pre-season was undone by a moment of carelessness in the last minute.

If boss Mick McCarthy’s players have learned from the mistakes that saw them ship late goals against Tottenham, Fulham twice, Villa, Manchester United, Bolton and Albion last season, they didn’t show it on Saturday.

There didn’t seem to be anything threatening when impish substitute Curtis Thompson ran at George Elokobi.

But the winger managed to squeeze a cross in and impressive midfielder Neal Bishop did the rest to prod home from close range.

It was a just reward for an improved second-half display from County, who forced three saves from goalkeeper Carl Ikeme after a strong Wolves side dominated the opening period.

But it was the conceding of Bishop’s 90^th minute equaliser which triggered an angry reaction from McCarthy.

He said: “I was bloody annoyed about that to be honest – we should just win the game – just see out the last five minutes because we didn’t have to score another goal.

“It might not count for anything but we shouldn’t be giving a goal away like that at the end of a game, and it happened a bit last season.

“We’ve got to get that out of our game, conceding in the last minute. We should have won the game 1-0 and it was a lesson which we should have learned from last year.

“To be fair I did put six players on together during the second-half and they all had to go and get into the game.

“And Notts County did well in the second half after we had done well in the first-half.

“They created a few chances and missed a couple and Carl had made saves.

“But once we get in front, we should stay in front and make sure we win it.

“That’s what my message was to the lads.”

Wolves were at their sharpest before the interval when they moved the ball around with ease and created several chances.

No one was more effective than winger Adam Hammill, who saw a chip tipped over by goalkeeper Stuart Nelson and saw a free kick clip the bar.

It was Hammill who put Kevin Doyle through in the first minute with a superb diagonal ball only for the Republic of Ireland international to drag his shot wide.

Then came Hammill’s chip, before Steven Fletcher, making his comeback after a knee injury, was narrowly off target with a rising shot.

Another comeback man, Ronald Zubar, then found Matt Jarvis with a fine cross only for the winger to miss his connection from a diving header.

Doyle thrilled and disappointed in equal measure with a mazy run that took him around Krystian Pearce and Hamza Bencherif only to fire well wide.

But Wolves weren’t to be denied and deservedly took the lead in the 26^th minute when Jarvis fired home from 12 yards out, with a shot which deflected in off Nelson after a superb short pass from Jamie O’Hara.

Three minutes later, Doyle slid in to hit the post at the end of a delightful move involving Zubar, Karl Henry, Fletcher, O’Hara and Stephen Ward.

Wolves had another chance when Roger Johnson was presented with a headed chance from Jarvis’s cross, but the big defender planted his effort straight at Nelson.

County didn’t mount any threat until the 36^th minute, when Carl Ikeme parried Craig Westcarr’s drive and Ward blocked Alan Judge’s follow-up.

Then came Hammill’s setpiece, a 22-yard curling free kick that hit the angle before bouncing down and hitting the diving Nelson.

Hammill was on the back foot as he was beaten when County had another chance just before the break, when former Walsall and Hednesford striker Karl Hawley cut inside before lashing against the top of the bar.

If Ikeme was relieved to see that effort fly over, he was soon in the thick of the action himself after Judge’s drilled shot was pushed aside by the keeper after Hawley benefitted from a lucky bounce to break beyond Christophe Berra.

Then Westcarr forced a fine one-handed save from 20 yards before Ikeme palmed away Hamza Bencherif’s header.

But Wolves weathered the storm and could have extended their lead when Nenad Milijas and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake were denied, with left-footed efforts by saves from Nelson in the same move.

The visitors rode their luck a little when Westcarr hit the side-netting following Hawley’s defence-splitting through ball.

Wolves remained a danger, however, and Michael Kightly saw a shot deflected wide after Stephen Hunt and Andy Keogh combined.

Then came County’s equaliser before the needless arrival of Lee Hughes, with around 30 seconds to go.