Burton Albion 2 Wolves 1 - Report and pictures

On their first ever competitive visit to the Pirelli Stadium Wolves took the lead shortly before half time when £13million permanent signing Helder Costa scored from the penalty spot - his 10th goal of the season.

Burton came on strong after half time and levelled through Wolves old boy Michael Kightly, making his debut for the Brewers on loan from Burnley.

And they scored a deserved last-gasp winner when Cauley Woodrow turned home a corner in the 93rd minute.

Analysis

Well Wolves had to be brought down to earth sooner or late.

After a famous win at Liverpool, a £13m splash in the transfer market and a deeply impressive win at Barnsley, it couldn't go on forever, writes Tim Spiers at the Pirelli Stadium.

Burton may have left it heartbreakingly late, scoring the winner in the 93rd minute, but they were good value for this victory.

Yes Wolves were in front at the break through that man Costa's 10th of the season, expertly dispatched from the penalty spot.

But Burton came on strong in the second half, laying siege to the Wolves goal, and Lambert's leggy team mustered next to nothing in response.

The boss sent on Enobakhare, Bodvarsson and debutant Ben Marshall from the bench, but to no avail.

And Burton looked the more likely scorers for the whole of the second half, with Carl Ikeme having to make a number of fine saves.

He was predictably beaten by Kightly, who became the fifth ex-Wolves man to score against them this season (after Van La Parra, Ebanks-Blake, Hammill and Le Fondre) and then again by Woodrow in injury time after some sluggish defending.

There was no shortage of effort from Lambert's side but there was a lack of imagination.

Costa was subdued, Dicko quietened after a bright start and the subs made little impact.

After a week of mental and physical exertions perhaps this was inevitable.

Lambert sprang a surprise with his team selection, leaving skipper Danny Batth on the bench.

He reverted to the same XI that beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield last week, aside from the return of the suspension-free Carl Ikeme in goal in place of Harry Burgyone.

Dominic Iorfa and Morgan Gibbs-White travelled but weren't selected, while there was also no place in the 18 for Joe Mason.

There was a familiar face in the Burton XI in the form of Michael Kightly, who spent five years at Molineux and joined the Brewers on loan from Burnley on deadline day.

In a tight stadium and on a pudding of a pitch, the game was low on quality from the outset with neither team taking charge.

Burton enjoyed more possession early on and created the game's first chance when Lasse Christensen fired over, but the first half an hour was quiet, dull and drab, with too many long balls from both teams and little room in a packed midfield.

For Wolves Nouha Dicko was looking lively and he went close to breaking his tortuous goal drought, which now stands at one year and five months, with brisk movement before a decent shot tested Jon McLaughlin.

A 0-0 scoreline would have befitted the half but Wolves edged in front from the spot kick. Edwards was taken out by the keeper and Costa, in the half's first genuine moment of quality, fired a superb penalty into the roof of the net.

On paper it should have been a stroll from there but Burton have proved themselves more than capable of competing in this division and they showed their fighting strengths at the start of the second half.

Wolves just didn't get going after the break and Burton - and Kightly in particular - took full advantage.

The winger, playing on the left flank, rolled back the years, going close twice in two minutes with excellent curling efforts from range.

Then on the hour mark he deservedly got his goal, tapping home from two yards after poor collective defending allowed Sordell to cross. Kightly's celebration was muted, despite the stick he'd been getting from the away end all game.

Lambert reacted by sending on Bright Enobakhare for George Saville and Wolves started to get a foothold in the game again, although Burton continued to look the more likely scorers with Wolves' midfield struggling to get a grip.

The Brewers peppered the Wolves box with crosses and corners, pegging the visitors back, although the defence held firm.

On came Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and new boy Ben Marshall with 10 minutes to go as Lambert went 4-2-2-2 with the Icelandic striker pairing Dicko.

But little changed. Wolves failed to create a chance, as they hadn't managed for the whole of the second half.

And they were punished in the dying seconds by Woodrow.

Key moments

2 - Good early opportunity for Burton - Flanagan's cross is volley over from close range by Christensen.

34 - Dicko twists and turns 25 yards out to create space for a shot - his curling effort looks bound for the corner before the keeper dives to push it wide.

40 - GOAL - Edwards takes the ball away from the keeper and is fouled. Costa steps up and beats the keeper from the spot, firing into the roof of the net.

58 - Kightly goes close twice in quick succession - curling a great effort from range towards the corner but Ikeme tips wide, and then sending a 20-yard free kick goalwards for Ikeme to push over the bar.

60 - GOAL - But Kightly can't miss from two yards after good work from Sordell to thread his way through the Wolves defence.

93 - GOAL - Wolves fail to clear and corner and Woodrow fires in on the turn from close range.

Teams

Burton (4-4-2): McLaughlin; Flangan, Mousinho (c), Turner, McCrory (Naylor, 23); Christensen (Palmer, 88), Murphy, Irvine, Kightly (Akins, 80); Woodrow, Sordell. Subs: Bywater, Williamson, Miller, Barker.

Goals: Kightly (60), Woodrow (93)

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Ikeme; Coady, Stearman, Hause, Doherty; Evans, Saville (Enobakhare, 63); Costa (Bodvarsson, 80), Edwards (c), Weimann (Marshall, 80); Dicko. Subs: Burgoyne, Batth, Price, Ronan.

Goals: Costa (pen, 40)

Attendance: 5,608 (1,600 Wolves fans)

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)

Position in the table

17th (35 points from 29 matches)