Wolves 1 Blues 2 - Report and pictures

Carl Ikeme dropped a regulation cross to gift Maikel Kieftenbeld an opener for Blues, before old boy David Davis doubled the lead just five minutes later.

Wolves rallied late in the second half and Nouha Dicko - after Paul Robinson had been sent off for a shove on Jon Dadi Bodvarsson - pulled a goal back, his first in 18 months.

But despite late pressure Wolves couldn't find an equaliser and slipped to their fourth successive home defeat.

Analysis

Cast your minds back, if you would, to August 20, 2016.

A vibrant young football team by the name of Wolverhampton Wanderers made the short trip to Birmingham to face their near neighbours, writes Tim Spiers at Molineux.

They went 1-0 down, but brilliantly recovered with a blistering second half to win 3-1.

New cult hero Jon Dadi Bodvarsson scored goal, boss Walter Zenga got down on his knees to salute the delirious travelling army and Wolves were third in the early Championship table. Life was good for those in gold and black.

Fast forward six months. Wolves have lost four Championship matches in a row. They're 20th in the table. Bodvarsson hasn't scored since.

Nouha Dicko finally has - but the striker's first goal in 18 months was the only highlight of this West Midlands derby from a Wolves perspective.

Lambert's team, as against Wigan, paid for a sloppy, timid and lacklustre first half - and that's being kind.

Their stirring rally in the last passage of the game was too little, too late.

Make no mistake, they are knee deep in a relegation scrap. On the evidence of the second half - albeit only after Blues were reduced to 10 men - they do. On the evidence of the first half they most certainly don't.

These are very worrying times in WV1. A colossal amount of money has been spent haphazardly piecing together this squad and the only place Wolves are heading at the moment is League One.

Lambert kept faith with the majority of the XI that performed so well against Chelsea last weekend, making one change in recalling Richard Stearman in place of Kortney Hause.

There was a place on the bench for Nouha Dicko after two games out injured, while Andy Lonergan, Ben Marshall and Morgan Gibbs-White also returned to the squad.

Beleaguered Blues brought ex-Wolves midfielder David Davis back into their side, while there was a familiar face in goal in the form of Tomasz Kuszczak.

Gianfranco Zola's team arrived at Molineux in freefall, having lost nine of 14 matches and won only once since he took charge.

But, far from flying out of the traps and capitalising on their fragile confidence, Wolves' lacklustre start allowed Blues a foothold in the game - and they took full advantage.

The opening 20 minutes saw precious little quality on show with Wolves far too often hoofing the ball towards Jon Dadi Bodvarsson - a tactic Blues were more than comfortable playing against.

Their only threat came from set pieces. Richard Stearman sent an inswinging Jack Price corner back across goal and just wide in the game's first genuine chance.

Wolves were letting Blues into the contest - and they let them have an opening goal too.

A regulation cross from the right was grabbed by the stretching Ikeme, but with no one anywhere near him he dropped the ball and Kieftenbeld stabbed home.

Not long later things went from disappointing to shambolic. Davis became the sixth ex-Wolves player to net against them this season, sidefooting home a deflected pass with no one picking up his run.

The midfielder shushed the South Bank and had a bottle thrown at him as Molineux went apocalyptic.

The response from Wolves was barely a notch up from pitiful. Confidence dropped (Stearman and Coady both sent clearances vertically into the air) and barely two successive passes were played in midfield.

The situation was summed up when Bodvarsson, without a goal since the return fixture (six months ago on August 20) sent a free six-yard header into orbit.

No one could escape criticism - the whole team were, to a man, dire, especially considering the occasion of a Friday night derby in front of a big crowd against weak and forlorn opposition.

Lambert's reaction, after some well deserved half time boos, was to send on Dicko in place of Saville and switch to 4-4-2.

There was no immediate reaction - but then Wolves got a helping hand, quite literally, from Robinson, whose completely unnecessary shove on Bodvarsson earned him a red card and handed the hosts a lifeline they hadn't earned,.

That raised the noise volume inside Molineux and stretched the game, but Blues continued to look the more threatening with Doherty having to make an excellent block.

Lambert's team were making it too easy for Blues, who were defending deep with ease, other than a Coady cross which flashed across the face of goal.

Then came the charge - and it began with that man Dicko.

Helder Costa, whose radar had been off for most of the evening, sent a low one into the meat of the six yard box and there was Dicko to end one year, six months and 14 days of frustration by finding the net in a Wolves shirt again.

In sparked a flurry of attacks - Edwards fired just wide from a Coady centre, Costa's inswinging free kick just needed a touch but somehow missed everyone, even Stearman tried a 25-yarder.

The onslaught continued to deep into stoppage time but Wolves, despite huffing and puffing at that Blues door, couldn't blow it down and suffered their fourth successive home defeat as a result.

They need at the very least five wins from their last 14 matches, probably more. Would you back this team to find them?

Key moments

27 - GOAL - Ikeme drops a regulation cross and Maikel Kieftenbeld stabs home from close range to give Blues the lead.

32 - GOAL - David Davis ghosts in unmarked to sidefoot home from the edge of the area.

52 - RED CARD - Paul Robinson tangles with Bodvarsson near the touchline - as the striker lays on the floor Robinson appears to shove the back of his head. After consulting with his assistant the referee sends him off.

63 - Costa stands up a cross to Dicko whose powerful header is kept out by Kuszczak.

74 - GOAL - Costa's low cross is slammed home by Dicko from close range.

Teams

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Ikeme; Coady, Batth (c), Stearman, Doherty; Price, Saville (Dicko, 45); Costa, Edwards, Weimann; Bodvarsson. Subs: Lonergan, Williamson, Saiss, Marshall, Gibbs-White, Enobakhare.

Goals: Dicko (74

Blues (3-5-1-1): Kuszczak; Dacres-Cogley, Robinson, Shotton; Nsue (Stewart, 77), Kieftenbeld, Davis, Tesche, Keita, Garnder (Bielik, 55); Adams. Subs: Legzdins, O'Keefe, Gleeson, Frei, Sinclair.

Goals: Kieftenbeld (27), Davis (32)

Red card: Robinson (52)

Attendance: 27,541 (2,151 Blues fans)

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire)

Position in the table

20th (35 points from 32 matches)