Wolves 0 Brighton 0 - Report and pictures
Conor Coady was sent off and Emiliano Martinez saved a penalty as dogged Wolves held on for a point against league leaders Brighton.
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Kenny Jackett's team, who picked up their first clean sheet in the process, were indebted to an impressive rearguard action.
The Seagulls failed to unpick the home defence, despite Wolves having 10 men for 41 minutes of the Championship clash.
Coady's studs-up red card was warranted, with his foul dangerous, if not malicious.
Earlier Martinez had guessed correctly to save Tomer Hemed's first-half spot kick, while Adam Le Fondre went closest for Wolves with a close-range shot that was cleared off the line.
Le Fondre started having passed a fitness test after taking a kick on the shin in training late in the week.
Jackett made two changes from the team that lost 2-1 to Bolton Wanderers, handing recalls to Dominic Iorfa and Sheyi Ojo with Matt Doherty and Jed Wallace dropping to the bench.
On a gloriously sunny day at Molineux, Wolves made a bright start, with James Henry continuing his recent good form as the team's most creative outlet.
He got the game's first shot away, taking Benik Afobe's cut-back after Le Fondre played a good ball forward, but Henry's 20-yard effort cleared the bar.
There was little to talk about in a dull first quarter of the match, with both sides struggling to put any effective attacking moves together.
Wolves: Martinez; Iorfa, Ebanks-Landell, Hause, Golbourne; Henry (Doherty 90), Edwards, Coady, Ojo (Byrne 68); Le Fondre (McDonald 52); Afobe.
Subs not used: Ikeme, Wallace, Van La Parra, Enobakhare.
Brighton: Stockdale; Bruno, Dunk, Greer, Bong; Rosenior, Murphy, Stephens, Kayal, Lua Lua (Zamora 77); Hemed (Manu 45).
Subs not used: Maenpaa, March, Goldson, Ince, Forster-Caskey.
Attendance: 20,382[/breakout]
Le Fondre and Afobe were looking sharp up front, with the former lurking behind the latter and linking play, but Brighton's defence were proving a hard nut to crack.
The visitors stepped things up a gear and then, on 22 minutes, won a penalty.
Jamie Murphy skipped clear of Kortney Hause but with his touch taking him away from goal, Scott Golbourne came crashing in to take the midfielder off his feet.
It was an easy decision for referee Jeremy Simpson, but Wolves had a bit let off when Martinez guessed correctly to save Hemed's tame penalty.
The Spanish shot-stopper was then alert to blocked the rebound, again from Hemed, to rapturous applause from the home fans.
The dangerous Hemed beat Ethan Ebanks-Landell after playing a smart one-two and headed towards the box, but Martinez was in his way again with a comfortable save from the 18-yard shot.
Brighton were on top but, on 33 minutes, Wolves were desperately close to taking the lead with their first shot on target.
Henry's right-wing free kick was headed back across goal by Ebanks-Landell and the sliding Le Fondre saw his close-range effort blocked on the line by Hemed, who went some way to making up for his poor penalty.
Henry then sent a delicious left-wing corner straight across goal, with the come-and-get-me ball bouncing in the six yard box, as his set piece delivery went wasted, as it had done so often at Bolton a week earlier.
Iorfa then brought Molineux to life with a fabulous enterprising run down the right, making it all the way to the byline before his cross was claimed by Brighton goalkeeper David Stockdale.
Le Fondre teed up David Edwards for a 25-yarder but the shot sailed over the bar, before the latter played a one-two with Henry whose cross was sliced over his own bar by Gordon Greer.
The resulting two corners yielded nothing, as Wolves again failed to test Stockdale. The injured Hemed's eventful afternoon came to a close at the break, with Elvis Manu his half-time replacement.
Just four minutes into the second-half, though, Wolves were dealt a huge blow when Coady was sent off.
The midfielder, pumped up after winning a couple of 50-50 challenges, flew into a one-footed tackle on Rosenior with his studs up and the referee had no hesitation in flashing a red card.
It was a needlessly strong challenge and, while not malicious, was worthy of a red card by modern-day standards.
Kevin McDonald replaced the unfortunate Le Fondre as Jackett shored up his midfield, with Wolves facing 41 minutes with 10 men.
Manu went down injured soon after and the home fans loudly voiced their displeasure, also booing Rosenior with regularity at what they saw as an injustice.
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Brighton began dominating possession in the Wolves third with the home side sitting deep, and Martinez had to keep an eye on Beram Kayal's deflected shot.
Wolves were struggling to make headway at the other end, with Afobe cutting an isolated figure up front. Kazenga Lua Lua's dangerous low cross missed Rosenior by inches, as Brighton began to doniate.
Nathan Byrne was then handed his Wolves debut, coming off the bench to replace the anonymous Sheyi Ojo on the left flank.
Rosenior then ghosted into the box to turn a right-wing cross wide of the post, as Brighton continued to turn the screw.
McDonald got in an important sliding block from Lua Lua's cross, before Dale Stephens sent a soft header into Martinez's arms with Wolves' backs very much to the wall.
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With 11 minutes remaining, ex-England international Bobby Zamora replaced Lua Lua as Brighton searched for a winner.
And they should have got it when Manu had a clear shot from the edge of the box, but sent his effort too close to Martinez.
There was rare respite when Afobe was teed up for a left-footed shot from the edge of the box, but he dragged it so wide the ball rolled out for a throw.
But back came Brighton and, with five minutes left, Murphy sent a free header just past the post from Manu's cross.
Rosenior's cross dropped to Kayal whose low drive deflected past Martinez's right post, before the goalkeeper confidently claimed the corner.
Kayal fired over during five minutes of injury time, with the Wolves wall allowing no room for Brighton to play through.
When the referee blew his whistle, there was loud appreciation from the home fans for an impressive rearguard action.
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