Pictures and analysis of Middlesbrough 2 Wolves 0

If Wolves thought their share of marginal decisions had ended with relegation, their recent fortunes have proved otherwise.

First it was the penalty in the Brighton game against Stephen Ward, then Christophe Berra's sending off at Watford, then the spot-kick they didn't get against Millwall when Kevin Doyle was shoved to the ground by Danny Shittu.

On Saturday came another – and the hotly-disputed and highly controversial 88th-minute penalty which decided the outcome of this contest was as questionable as any of the others.

Quite how the assistant referee could decide that the contact from Scott McDonald's driven cross into Karl Henry was worthy of handball was beyond everyone at the Riverside apart from him and West Yorkshire referee Rob Madley.

Even Boro-mad former Premier League whistler Jeff Winter condemned the decision. On the replay of the alleged offence, the ref was out of shot and he allowed himself to be over-ruled by the linesman, who was 30-plus yards away from it.

Henry claimed afterwards that the ball struck both his shoulder and his ribs. Of course, a player feeling aggrieved is going to complain in the strongest terms.

But Henry did seem to have a point; watching the replay, it's impossible to detect a handball. Wolves' sense of frustration wasn't confined to the penalty decision.

What also rankled was their inability to cash in on their dominance of games and make more from the chances.

The players are far more fluent in possession and convincing with what they are doing now than they were even a month or two ago. But they need a finisher.

That may sound harsh coming two weeks after their biggest away win for more than five years at Bristol City, but they could have more than doubled their tally that day.

And if the surprise departure Solbakken warned of in January last week is Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, then supporters will be hoping his replacement offers the clinical ruthlessness needed.

Injuries may dictate Solbakken shifting the emphasis on his shopping list to midfield reinforcements next month. But Wolves also need a poacher if they are to achieve their ambition of promotion at the first attempt.

Time after time on Saturday, Bakary Sako whipped in a cross that the merest of touches could have diverted into the net and changed the outcome of the game but there was no-one there willing to attack the ball.

Having rued their own inability to finish, Wolves were grateful Boro weren't so clinical either. Mowbray's men tried to profit from Roger Johnson's unconvincing start by forcing two excellent chances in the first 11 minutes.

First, McDonald drove wide after 'spinning' the defender when Johnson allowed Seb Hines' punt to drop over his head. Then Luke Williams got ahead of Johnson only for former Boro loan keeper Carl Ikeme to smother his shot.

Wolves had appeals for a penalty of their own turned down in the 21st minute when Doyle appeared to be bundled over as he tried to wriggle his way through.

Then Sako gradually began to assert his considerable authority, and the French winger forced the first save from Jason Steele on 28 with a curling free-kick that went right through the three-man wall.

Sako turned Justin Hoyte inside out before Steele pounced on his cross-shot, then the wideman was inches away with another free-kick.

But, if Wolves held their own in an even first half, they were the commanding team in the second period.

Sako twice – with a shot deflected over and a right-footed effort straight at Steele that had the winger leaping rigid with frustration – tried desperately to bring a breakthrough for Wolves while Doyle glanced his corner wide at the near post.

In between, Wolves survived a let-off when Williams delayed his shot and allowed himself to be crowded out after McDonald's backheel put him clear. But Wolves were the team in the ascendancy.

Doyle stung the palms of Steele with a left-footed effort before substitute David Davis should have done better with a sidefooted effort from the edge of the box after Sako – who else? – teed him up.

After that the game was petering out until the late drama. Emnes, who had got off his sickbed to make the bench, calmly stroked home from the spot to send Ikeme the wrong way.

And with Wolves desperately pushing for an equaliser, they were hopelessly outnumbered as Emnes set up McDonald to drive across Ikeme for Boro's second.

It sealed a flattering scoreline to fan those burning flames of injustice.

By Tim Nash