Brighton 1 Wolves 0 - Report and pictures

Baldock struck in the 14th minute, sending a free header past Carl Ikeme, and Wolves never really looked like getting back on terms until the final stages, writes Tim Spiers.

The hosts dominated most of the game and spurned a number of chances.

Walter Zenga made two half time substitutions and Wolves went close at the start and end of the second half, particularly in a frenetic six minutes of injury time, but to no avail.

Analysis

"I would like to know and I wish I find the key why," Walter Zenga said of Wolves' Tuesday hoodoo ahead of this fixture.

He's still looking for that key.

Wolves weren't dreadful at the Amex Community Stadium. Certainly not as bad as they'd been in defeat to Barnsley and Wigan, their last two Tuesday night league games.

But they were a shadow of the side that had done everything but score in a deeply impressive second half display at Villa on Saturday.

Then again, Brighton were about 10 times better than Villa had been.

The Seagulls are everything Wolves aspire to be - a solid, consistent, effective Championship side that plays with both discipline and flair.

They've finished in the top six of this league in three of the past four seasons - and on this showing they'll be one of the teams to beat again.

Wolves found it tough - very tough - to play through an organised unit in which every man knew his role, and knew where his team mate would be.

Zenga's team are, understandably nowhere near that level yet. But although time and patience should be afforded to the Italian as he looks to fashion a promotion-challenging team with a host of new signings and playing alien to this league, he does need Wolves to start picking up more victories, it goes without saying.

Wolves are now 15th in the table with 16 points from 13 games. Since those wonderful wins over Newcastle and Brentford they've picked up just one point from four matches.

Despite this, the play-offs are still in reach (four points away) and, with games against Leeds (home) and Blackburn (away) to follow in the next 11 days, they have a good opportunity to close that gap.

Consistency - and difficulties with team selection - remain sticking points for Zenga. He debated making changes here owing to the effort levels exerted at Villa, but elected only to swap Jon Dadi Bodvarsson with Nouha Dicko.

Wolves duly did look tired. Not physically, but mentally, making some sloppy errors at the back (Carl Ikeme and Kortney Hause the main culprits) and lacking creativity up front.

In fact it was a small miracle they only lost 1-0, with dominant Brighton spurning a host of chances and having the vast majority of the play.

They conceded an early goal and rarely looked like getting back on terms until a breathtaking six minutes of injury time in which Danny Batth and Helder Costa were great saves away from equalising, and then the ball flashed across goal from a last-ditch corner.

They threw the kitchen sink, nay the whole kitchen, at Brighton in those dying seconds, but it was too little, too late.

It shouldn't be forgotten that this is one of the toughest challenges they'll face this season.

They won't have that excuse in their next two matches.

Key moments

11 - Anthony Knockaert is running the show in the early minutes for Brighton. He whips a free kick towards the top corner and Carl Ikeme has to tip over.

14 - GOAL - Bong has time to cross from the left and Sam Baldock, who had peeled off Danny Batth, sends a great 10-yard header into the roof of the net. Ikeme got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.

22 - Batth fouls Knockaert just outside the box. Jiri Skalak bends the free kick inches over the crossbar. It's all Brighton.

37 - Bruno gets to the right byline with far too much ease and crosses to Baldock, but he's off balance and fires wide from close range.

44 - Wolves' first meaningful effort at goal comes from Helder Costa. With everyone expecting a cross from the right he goes for goal with a piledriver and Stockdale has to tip over. Stunning effort.

46 - Half time subs Ivan Cavaleiro and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson almost combine to equalise just seconds after coming on. Cavaleiro races into the box and cuts the ball back via a deflection...Bodvarsson steams in and, under pressure, fires over the bar from 15 yards.

55 - Nearly a second for Brighton when Glenn Murray flashes a header across goal and just wide from a right-wing corner.

86 - Good save from Ikeme to deny Knockaert at the near post.

92 - Batth produces a 25-yard volley from a cleared corner and David Stockdale pushes around his post.

94 - And now Costa does the same from another cleared corner, curling goalwards from range, another good save.

96 - Wolves are piling on the pressure in injury time with wave after wave of corners. Ikeme comes up...and Cavaleiro flicks on at the near post with the ball flashing across goal and wide. How did no one get a touch?

Position in the table

15th (16 points from 13 matches)

Teams

Brighton (4-4-2): Stockdale; Bruno (Goldson, 79), Dunk, Duffy, Bong; Knockaert (Pocognoli, 90), Sidwell, Norwood, Skalak; Murray, Baldock (Stephens, 82). Subs: Maenpaa, Murphy, Ince, Manu.

Goal: Baldock (14)

Wolves (4-3-3): Ikeme; Iorfa, Batth (c), Hause, Doherty; Coady (Cavaleiro, 45), Saiss, Edwards; Costa, Dicko (Teixeira, 68), Oniangue (Bodvarsson, 45). Subs: Lonergan, Stearman, Saville, Wallace.

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 25,231 (835 Wolves fans)