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Wolves 2 Leeds 2 - match report

Danny Batth rescued a deserved point for battling Wolves against Leeds but they slipped closer to the drop zone after making it nine games without a win.

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Danny Batth rescued a deserved point for battling Wolves against Leeds but they slipped closer to the drop zone after making it nine games without a win.

The 22-year-old defender headed home in the second minute of time added on after Luke Varney (64) and Ross McCormack's 78th minute penalty cancelled out Lee Peltier's own goal eight minutes after the break.

The result left Wolves fourth bottom and only outside the bottom three on goal difference after wins for all the teams below them – Barnsley, Bristol City and Peterborough - while they are just four points off the bottom of the table.

Wolves are still searching for their first win under Saunders and have taken just three points out of 15 under the new boss – the same as Stale Solbakken took from his final five matches in charge – while their dismal home run continued as they have now won just one of their last 12 in front of their own fans.

But they were good value for their point, carrying their improved performance at Leicester into this game as they created numerous chances.

Kevin Doyle, Bakary Sako, Tongo Doumbia and Jamie O'Hara all wasted chances before Peltier turned home Stephen Ward's cross to give Wolves the lead.

After the opening goal, Wolves enjoyed their best spell of the game, and Sako and Batth twice went close to extending their lead, the latter chance coming after Varney's equaliser against the run of play.

But Wolves appeared to concede a soft penalty for Sako's push on Sam Byram which led to McCormack putting Leeds ahead for the first time and there looked to be no way back for Wolves until Batth struck at the death to complete a man of the match performance on his full home league debut.

Saunders made one change from the side beaten 2-1 at Leicester nine days ago.

Doyle returned at the expense of Bjorn Sigurdarson, who dropped to the bench.

Doyle was up front alongside Sylvan Ebanks-Blake as Wolves reverted to 4-4-2 after playing 4-2-3-1 for the first time under Saunders at Leicester.

Unusually, the left-footed O'Hara started at wide right, while Slawomir Peszko, who is a specialist in that position, wasn't even in the 18.

Wolves took their time to get going in a sluggish start for the home side.

But they did manage to have the first effort on goal when Doyle did well to dispossess Byram and advanced forwards but could only fire straight at keeper Paddy Kenny with his left foot in the 10th minute.

Leeds were quick to respond, Paul Green slamming a low right foot angled drive a few feet wide from a knockdown by former Norwich striker Steve Morison, one of two debutants in the visitors' line-up with recent Wolves target Stephen Warnock from Villa.

Morison was in the thick of things again in Leeds' next attack, rising highest in the box and heading narrowly over the bar from Ross McCormack's free kick.

Wolves were slowly finding their feet and Tongo Doumbia perhaps should have done better when he arrived in the box to get on the end of Doyle's right-wing centre, only to head over on 16.

Two minutes later, Wolves had the ball in the net after Ebanks-Blake drew Kenny and slotted home only for the flag to go up for offside on the far side after the 11-goal top scorer strayed fractionally ahead of the last man latching onto Doumbia's through ball.

Wolves forced the first save of the game in the 34th minute when Bakary Sako cut inside, powered past a defender and saw a fierce right-foot shot palmed away for a corner by Kenny.

But in an even half, Leeds hit back with a curling effort from the unmarked McCormack, who curled the ball wide after Wolves failed to cut out Green's cross from the right.

Wolves started the second half looking far better than they had started the first, and after O'Hara sent a twisting header just wide from Doyle's cross that went behind him, they took the lead.

Sako threaded Stephen Ward through on the left and his low cross was deflected in off Peltier as Doyle and Ebanks-Blake rushed to the near post.

The goal lifted Wolves and after David Norris was inches away with a rising volley from the edge of the box, the home side had several chances to extend their lead.

Kevin Foley fired straight at Kenny from with a left foot drive from 20 yards, Sako saw a fierce shot palmed away by Kenny and Batth headed just over from Doyle's cross.

But all their hard work was undone by Varney's equaliser against the run of play, the former Crewe and Derby man finding the corner of the net with an angled left-foot finish from inside the box after Wolves failed to clear a cross.

After the equaliser, Wolves went close again through Batth, whose header was nodded off the line by Green then Doyle scrambled the rebound wide.

Leeds continued to look dangerous on the break and Varney's cross-shot was tipped away by Carl Ikeme after Foley gave him far too much room.

Wolves' chances of a first win under Saunders took a massive blow however when Leeds were awarded a penalty.

Sako got the wrong side of Sam Byram racing for Green's pass and shoved the 19-year-old right back to the ground for a clear spot kick.

McCormack sent Ikeme the wrong way from the spot and it looked like being yet another defeat for Wolves.

But up stepped Batth in the second minute of time added on to send a downward header past Kenny from O'Hara's cross.

Kenny played his part, leaving Christophe Berra's toe-poked shot thinking it was a goal kick when it was deflected for a corner, and he punched away O'Hara's flag kick.

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