Wolves 1 Preston 2 - Report and pictures

A home defeat that surely extinguishes any faith hopes of the play-offs would be bad enough.

But apathy turned to anger in the stands as the disillusioned home faithful turned on Messrs Morgan and Moxey, and later on Kenny Jackett too.

On a bitterly cold Molineux afternoon supporters cranked the heat up on the men who run Wolves, as they watched their beloved team offer nothing but a weak and insipid performance against a sturdy Preston defence that lapped it up.

Preston don't score many, but they don't concede many either, and after going 2-0 up the result wasn't in doubt.

Wolves rallied briefly in response to Paul Gallagher and Adam Reach's goals, with Joe Mason, surprisingly left out again, pulling a goal back.

But they barely tested Anders Lindegaard. And the home fans greeted the full time whistle with a cacophony of boos for the second Molineux match running.

Wolves (4-3-3): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Ebanks-Landell, Doherty; Coady, Price, Saville (Rowe, 86); Van La Parra (Mason, 45), Sigurdarson, Henry (Byrne, 18).

Subs not used: Martinez, Deslandes, McDonald, Le Fondre.

Goal: Mason (67)

Preston (3-5-1-1): Clarke (c), Huntington, Wright; Woods, Gallagher, Browne, Johnson, Cunningham; Reach; Garner (Doyle, 86).

Subs not used: Kirkland, Vermjil, Kilkenny, Welsh, Hugill, Robinson.

Goals: Gallagher (17), Reach (53)

Attendance: 21,204 (1,504 Preston fans)

Jackett made one change from the team that drew 0-0 at Reading last week, dropping Kevin McDonald to the bench and recalling Jack Price for his first start since the 4-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on December 20.

That meant there was still no place for new £3m signing Mason, who was on the bench alongside the returning Emiliano Martinez.

Preston made the better start, with Reach getting in behind Ethan Ebanks-Landell, before the defender got back to block as Joe Garner tried to get a shot away.

Bjorn Siguardarson tried to get Wolves going with a gallivanting run into the box to win a corner, which to nothing.

The visitors were bright and inventive in their play in an unusual 3-5-1-1 formation, with Reach causing problems in a free role behind Garner.

And, just after Gallagher sent a decent 18-yard effort just over, it was no surprise when they took the lead via the same player.

Gallagher beat the flimsy Wolves offside trap and lobbed the bouncing ball over the advancing Ikeme and into the net.

The bad news continued with James Henry forced off through injury before the game restarted. Nathan Byrne replaced him.

And the goal certainly didn't click Jackett's team into gear. From Daniel Johnson's cross Greg Cunningham was inches away from connecting with a diving header.

Preston were dominating in midfield, their fans giving it an 'ole' as the played through Wolves.

Any notion of Wolves doing the same was far-fetched, although they were within inches of equalising when Byrne struck the post with a 25-yard free kick.

There was very little else to report in what was a dire half of football. The restless home supporters made their feelings clear, chanting angrily about Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey,

And those chants only became louder at the start of the second half when Preston doubled their lead.

Wolves, who now had Mason on the field in place of the disappointing Van La Parra, failed to defend Calum Woods' cross, with Ikeme pushing the ball to Reach who sent a precise finish into the corner from the right of the area.

"We want Moxey out" was the ferocious cry from the majority of the South Bank, with Wolves' doing nothing on the pitch to turn their attention to the match itself.

Byrne twice got in down the right but failed to beat the first man with his cross.

For Preston, a team with one of the meanest defences in the division, it was breathtakingly easy.

But from nowhere Wolves got back into the game - and it was that man Mason who did the business.

Conor Coady sent a raking through ball past the Preston back line, Mason rounded Anders Lindegaard and slammed into the net past a defender for his second Wolves goal in two appearances.

Little changed in the pattern of play, though, with Wolves barely getting near the Preston box until the closing minutes.

With nine to go Byrne sent a cross inches ahead of Sigurdarson, seconds after Iorfa had been crowded out by three defenders in the box upon receiving Coady's pass.

Jackett then replaced Saville with Tommy Rowe, a change that earned a few boos and chants of "you don't know what you're doing" from a disenchanted South Bank.

And Wolves offered nothing thereafter, with Preston seeing out the win that saw them overtake Wolves in the table with relative ease.