Save Wolves: Proof that sporting miracles really can happen

Even the most eternal of glass-half-full optimists will be resigned to the team's apparent fate. Relegation looks inevitable – all hope looks lost and a sporting miracle is needed to survive.

But sport's history is littered with the most unlikely of comebacks, of great escapes, of hope triumphing over despair.

If manager Dean Saunders, the players and thousands of morose Wolves supporters need inspiration, they should look no further than these 10 sporting miracles.

THE MIRACLE OF ISTANBUL

It was the Champions League Final of 2005 and Liverpool – who hadn't won European football's greatest prize for 21 years – trailed 3-0 at half time to AC Milan.

The Italians were apparently celebrating in their dressing room but Rafa Benitez gave the team talk of his life and the rest was history.

In an astonishing seven-minute spell the Reds turned the game on its head, took it to penalties, and football's craziest comeback was complete.

BOTHAM AT HEADINGLEY

Surely the greatest against-all-odds victory in English cricket history. Australia made 401 in the first innings of the third test of the 1981 Ashes, before bowling England out for just 174 and duly asking them to bat again.

Bookmakers were quoting odds of 500-1 on an England win at one point before Botham smashed 149 not out, and Bob Willis took 8-43 to skittle Australia out and lead England to an 18-run victory – arguably the most famous in their history.

England went on to win the series, which will forever be known as Botham's Ashes.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

West Brom were, to all intents and purposes, dead and buried in the 2004-05 Premier League season.

At the turn of the year they were cut adrift, eight points from safety and in the knowledge that no team had survived in the Premier League having been bottom at Christmas.

However the Baggies found their form and clung on, taking their improbable fight to the last day of the season when they were still propping up the table.

But Norwich, Southampton all Crystal Palace all faltered, and a 2-0 win for Bryan Robson's side against Portsmouth kept them up.

THE MIRACLE AT MEDINAH

Many have labelled it the greatest comeback in sports history. At one point in last year's Ryder Cup Europe trailed 10-4 and at the start of the final day were still 10-6 behind.

The Europeans, spurred on by an inspired Ian Poulter, got on a roll and soon the tide swung dramatically in their favour.

Martin Kaymer dropped a six-foot putt on the 18th hole to beat Steve Stricker to ensure a draw, and Tiger Woods missed a putt on the final green so Francesco Molinari claimed a final half point to secure an astounding victory.

BUTTON DRIVES FROM LAST TO FIRST

One of the longest races in Formula One history – lasting more than four hours – was also the most dramatic.

At the Canadian Grand Prix in 2011 Jenson Button was down and out. In a rain-affected race Button's McLaren was rock bottom by lap 40 – after the race had been stopped because of a flooded track – more than 100 seconds behind leader Sebastien Vettel.

But he caught and passed everyone in sight and then, on the final lap, pressured the normally unflappable Vettel into a mistake and took the chequered flag, justifiably calling it the race of his life.

COVENTRY DEFY THE ODDS

Coventry were perennial relegation strugglers in the 1990s during a 34-stint in the top flight and it seemed their number was up in 1997.

The Sky Blues were in the bottom three on the last day of the season and needed results to go their way while they faced a tough trip away at Tottenham Hotspur.

They held on for a 2-1 win, with goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic pulling off a series of fine saves, and thanks to a draw for Middlesbrough and defeat for Sunderland, stayed up by the skin of their teeth.

THE ALL BLACKS BOTTLE IT AGAIN

They'd been labelled as rugby's world cup bottlers but New Zealand looked set to finally shake off that tag in the 1999 tournament in England.

Inspired by man-mountain Jonah Lomu the All Blacks were outstanding favourites and raced into a 24-10 lead over France in the semi-final.

But the French had other ideas and produced the biggest turnaround in rugby history.

The choker tag would remain for another 14 years until the All Blacks won the tournament in 2011.

TAYLOR WINS THE BLACK BALL FINAL

Steve Davis was almost unbeatable in the 1980s. The six-time world snooker champion swept aside all before him as he dominated the sport.

And a Northern Irishman with unusually-large glasses by the name of Dennis Taylor was becoming yet another Davis victim in the 1985 final when he went 8-0 down.

But Taylor clawed his way back, winning seven of the next eight frames to reduce Davis' lead to 9-7. And it all came down to the last black of the last frame, witnessed by a record 18.5 million TV viewers.

MONTY HOLDS OFF THE AUSSIES

Not a victory for England but it certainly felt like one when they clung on admirably for a draw against Australia at Cardiff in the 2009 Ashes.

England posted a decent first innings total of 435 but the Australians ground down the English bowlers and declared on 674-6.

In their second innings wickets fell regularly and defeat seemed certain when unlikely batting heroes Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar had 40 minutes to survive. They defied the Australian bowlers in a valiant effort.

IT'S UP FOR GRABS NOW

A football story so unlikely, so remarkable and so theatrical it was made into a film.

Second-placed Arsenal travelled to Anfield on the final day of the 1988/89 season needing to beat leaders Liverpool by two goals to nil to lift an unlikely league title.

Pundits gave them no chance but a header from Alan Smith had the game on a knife-edge.

With 90 minutes up, Michael Thomas latched onto a hopeful ball from the back and stabbed it in for the most breathtaking and inconceivable climax in English football history.

Brian Moore's immortal commentary as Thomas aimed for goal – 'it's up for grabs now' would haunt the Reds for years.