Stale Solbakken smashes hole in Wolves dugout

Wolves boss Stale Solbakken proved he can pack a punch off the pitch like his team did on the pitch after smashing a hole in the dugout during Saturday's 3-3 draw against Brighton.

The 6ft 2ins Norwegian blasted a gaping two-foot square hole in the plastic roof of the dugout with his right fist in response to Brighton's first equaliser scored by Craig Mackail-Smith.

"It's OK – it could have been worse!" said Solbakken.

"I have a good right hook but my left is better – I am a southpaw!

"I did it after the equaliser. But I think the hole was repaired for the second half."

Solbakken said his punch was borne out of frustration after believing his team were in control until the first equaliser after Bakary Sako left Stephen Ward short with a pass.

"Wardy made a fantastic recovery, we had control of the ball, Brighton hadn't been close to anything and we gave them that goal," he said.

"Going into half-time 1-0 up and not 1-1 would have been a big difference."

Solbakken also claimed Brighton's first goal contributed to Karl Henry's deserved red card for his studs-up lunge on Liam Bridcutt two minutes after Mackail-Smith struck.

"Maybe that caused some frustration that led to the sending off," he said.

"We shot ourselves twice in the foot because instead of going in 1-0 up we were 1-1 and down to 10 men. That gave us a mountain to climb.

"We showed in the second half we are very well organised. We maybe got tired down to 10 men and playing with four in midfield with Sako as one of those was a bit of a gamble.

"But we know he can give us that bit extra with setpieces and a shot or two."

Meanwhile, Solbakken greeted Roger Johnson's last-gasp equaliser by declaring the £4m defender has shown he wants to be part of the Wolves camp.

"Roger has played well in my time here," he said.

"He got some tough messages that he wouldn't be captain or vice-captain and that he had to show me he wanted to play for this club and show the fans.

"He's shown all that and it was good for him and he could have had a couple of goals on Saturday."