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Bristol City 1 Wolves 0 - Report and pictures

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It's a good job the Legatum Institute have already done their survey on the UK's most miserable towns and cities.

Wolverhampton ranked bottom of the pile. But the city's rating will be even worse if they ask the city's football supporters how they feel this morning.

After the promise and the joy at St Andrew's, came the oh-so predictable slump at Ashton Gate.

Not even a drastic change in formation and the shock of seeing their £15m-rated striker withdrawn at half time could jolt Wolves into life against a Bristol City team that looked anything but relegation candidates.

Wolves, playing 4-1-4-1, were steady but subdued in the first half, albeit showing promise from wide positions without delivery that killer final pass.

A goal down thanks to Jonathan Kodjia's header on the stroke of half time, Jackett plumped for 3-5-2 to match City in the second half, and withdrew the ineffective Afobe, pairing Adam Le Fondre with Grant Holt.

If anything, though, Wolves were even worse for the changes, and City continued to look the more likely goalscorers.

It all added up to a thoroughly depressing evening, with home goalkeeper Frank Fielding barely tested and City producing the kind of resolute, determined defensive performance that Wolves showed on Saturday.

Despite a late attempt at a comeback, Fielding went untroubled as Wolves succumbed and fell to their fourth defeat in five matches.

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Jackett named an unchanged team from the one that so had to convincingly beaten Blues at St Andrew's on Saturday, meaning new signing Grant Holt and fellow striker Adam Le Fondre had to settle for places on the bench, while Jed Wallace again couldn't find a place in the squad.

Wearing their blue away kit, Wolves kicked off attacking the end where their 1,200 supporters were housed.

Heavy rain had soaked the pitch in the hours leading up to kick off, making for a slippery but slick surface at a three-sided ground in the midst of a major redevelopment, with the Williams Stand currently flattened.

There was a slight change in system for Wolves though, Jackett fielding a 4-1-4-1 with Conor Coady sitting deep, in a bid to counteract City's 3-5-2 formation.

Wolves made a decent, steady start with Nathan Byrne and James Henry the outlets on either flank.

James Henry

Dominic Iorfa was sluggish in the early stages though, and allowed left-wing back Derrick Williams to get in behind him, although the Robins man elected to cross rather than shoot and Wolves cleared their lines.

With both teams looking to play the ball on the floor the game was easy on the eye, although there was little to speak of in terms of goalmouth action.

Henry was combining well with Iorfa without quite finding the final ball.

Byrne looked to ignite Wolves with a dazzling run from the left, skipping past a challenge before slightly over-hitting his cross.

That was the theme of the first half, with both sides looking to get in round the back but then disappointing with their delivery.

City captain Korey Smith produced the game's first shot in anger on 21 minutes, but it was down Emiliano Martinez's throat.

Danny Batth sent another Henry corner over the bar, before the same combination saw a head across goal that City cleared.

Benik Afobe

It was all pretty sedentary stuff at Ashton Gate. But then City stepped things up a gear at the end of the half.

Kodjia sent an inviting, and unrewarded, ball across the six-yard box as Wolves were penned in.

And the same man then gave the hosts the lead right on the stroke of half time, rising above Batth to meet Bennett's hanging cross and nod powerfully past Martinez, who perhaps should have tried to claim rather than stay on his line.

Jackett was clearly not impressed with what he had seen and made a double change at half time.

Afobe and Byrne were given the hook and on came Holt and Le Fondre in their place.

With the changes came a rethink of the Wolves formation, as Jackett matched City's 3-5-2 with Henry and Scott Golbourne as wing-backs.

It almost had the immediate required effect.

Le Fondre dashed into the box and appeared to be brought down - the referee waved play on and Holt saw his goalbound shot pushed away by Frank Fielding to Edwards. He slotted home but was correctly flagged offside.

Back came resurgent City, roared on by a home crowd desperate for something to cheer away seeing their team win just two matches all season. Kieran Agard tested Martinez's reflexes with a fierce shot, which the Argentine pushed wide.

As the half went on the home side looked the more likely scorers, and goalscorer Kodjia drove menacingly goalwards from the right, Martinez doing well to hold on with team mates sniffing for a rebound.

Matt Doherty of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nathan Baker of Bristol City

With four in the box Henry looked to catch Fielding off his line from way out on the right, but the back-pedalling keeper claimed.

Wolves were still struggling to cope with Kodjia, who skipped past Williamson before driving a thunderbolt over Martinez's bar from 20 yards.

With 12 minutes left Jackett made his third and final change, swapping Coady for Matt Doherty, who went to right wing back, allowing Henry to push forward from central midfield.

Determined City, though, continued to put pressure on the Wolves defence, rendering a late siege improbable.

With six minutes left Wolves did begin to make some belated headway, with Golbourne's cross winning a corner, from which Henry cut inside only to see his shot blocked by the resolute home back line.

The kitchen sink was thrown at City in the dying minutes, but free kicks and corners, all dealt with fairly comfortably, were all they could muster.

Wolves did have a good shout for a penalty turned down in stoppage time when Doherty appeared to be fouled when trying to win Edwards' flick on, but the referee didn't agree and their misery was complete.

Bristol City (3-5-2): Fielding; Ayling, Flint, Baker; Bennett (Little, 79), Smith (c), Freeman (Moore, 90), Kodjia, Williams; Pack, Agard (Wilbraham, 89). Subs: Hamer, Reid, Cox, Bryan.

Goal: Kodjia (45)

Wolves (4-1-4-1): Martinez; Iorfa, Batth (c), Williamson, Golbourne; Coady (Doherty, 78); Henry, McDonald, Edwards, Byrne (Holt, 45); Afobe (Le Fondre, 45). Subs: Ikeme, Price, Ojo, Graham.

Referee: Simon Hooper

Attendance: 15,517 (1,173 Wolves fans)