Blackpool 2 Wolves 1

Wolves' relegation plight deepened as they crashed to their ninth defeat in 11 games at Blackpool.

They were only kept off the bottom of the Premier League for the first time in a year by virtue of goals scored over West Ham, whose game at Liverpool kicked off at 5.30pm.

Visiting fans chanted 'what a load of rubbish' at half-time after goals from Luke Varney on three minutes and ex-Wolves loanee Marlon Harewood just before half-time.

Kevin Doyle headed his first Premier League goal of the season four minutes from time, after second-half substitutes Nenad Milijas and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake both hit the post.

But there was no way back forMick McCarthy's side, who have lost six successive away games and have taken just one point from 21 on the road.

And Blackpool's victory owed at least something to the tactics of manager Ian Holloway, who bypassed the midfield and played a 4-2-4 formation which Wolves eventually matched after the hour.

By then nerves had got to McCarthy's men, who struggled to create clear-cut chances against the Premier League's worst defence going into the game

But Wolves, wearing their new all-black change kit for the first time, had the worst possible start when they conceded in the third minute – their third in successive games.

Kevin Foley, who has been in excellent form, was beaten too easily by Varney to Richard Kingson's goal kick, and the former Crewe striker hit an unstoppable speculative rising shot into the top corner of the net.

Wolves tried to hit back immediately and George Elokobi claimed handball, after his shot clearly hit Stephen Crainey in the chest after Blackpool failed to clear Matt Jarvis' corner.

But the Tangerines responded by forcing the first save from Marcus Hahnemann, the goalkeeper falling to his right to save Harewood's low 30-yard drive on the turn.

Wolves forced their own save when Kingson – in for Matt Gilks, who has a broken kneecap – punched clear on the line from David Jones' volleyed free kick.

The recalled Michael Mancienne and Foley switched positions after barely a quarter of an hour, as McCarthy sought a way back into the game.

They forced two headed chances either side of the half hour.

First the recalled Christophe Berra forced Kingson to stretch backwards, then Doyle missed a good opportunity when he glanced wide unmarked from Elokobi's cross.

In between, Wolves made a tactical substitution when Foley made way for Nenad Milijas as McCarthy went for midfield dominance.

Wolves continued to enjoy more possession than the home side but looked nervous to try things at times and struggled to open them up.

Jones volleyed wide of the angle then Stephen Hunt headed off target from Elokobi's cross, as they continued to probe without any real cutting edge.

Blackpool were content to sit back and soak up the pressure.

But when they hit Wolves on the break, they caused problems.

Centre-back Ian Evatt twice advanced from deep to pose a threat, the first time just before Jones's effort to force Hahnemann to save his 30-yarder at the second attempt, then he had the goalkeeper tipping behind for a corner.

Hahnemann was again the man under spotlight as Blackpool scored a second goal a minute before the break.

The 38-year-old dropped David Vaughan's corner under pressure from Luke Varney and oHarewood prodded home off Richard Stearman, despite Doyle's desperate attempts to clear on the line with Jarvis.

Wolves fans booed their side of at half-time, chanting 'what a load of rubbish.'

McCarthy introduced Sylvan Ebanks-Blake at half-time for Hunt to provide a greater attacking threat.

And it was the visitors who had the first attack, only for Jones to blaze over after Jarvis' cross hit a defender to bounce kindly for him on the edge of the box.

But it was end-to-end stuff, as Neal Eardley's cross sailed across the face of goal before Doyle did the same at the other end.

Doyle then should have done better when his determined run ended with a poor left foot shot that was easy for Kingson.

Wolves then went for broke with their third substitution on the hour as Steven Fletcher came on for Henry, who was feeling his right knee before he went off.

The visitors went within inches of a reply seconds later, when Milijas hit the base of the post with a low drive.

Ebanks-Blake did the same from point-blank range on 77 from another Jarvis cross.

But the striker could only force a simple save from Kingson on 83 minutes, at the end of a determined run.

Doyle finally got Wolves back into it on 86, with a deflected far post header from Elokobi's deep cross.