Peterborough 0 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

Young striker Austin Samuels, aged just 16, won this dire, bloody encounter by notching just eight minutes into his first ever first-team match, writes Tim Spiers at the ABAX Stadium.

A friendly it may have been, but Samuels will never forget that moment. And as a highly-rated England international youth striker, it could just be the first of many.

With Nouha Dicko absent through injury Wolves' need for a new striker, one they've been chasing all summer, became even more evident.

But Samuels offered another reminder to Nuno Espirito Santo, not that he needed one with Connor Ronan and Bright Enobakhare having already made their mark for the new boss, that there are some very talented players emerging from Wolves' prolific Compton Park academy.

And it meant that the 16-year-old, not new signing Diogo Jota who made his debut in the second half, stole the headlines.

It's a good job someone did as there was precious little else to write about from a dreadfully poor pre-season game in which Wolves were kicked all over the park yet again – but also gave plenty back this time. Again as an exercise little was gleaned from it, but with Nuno viewing this matches essentially as a glorified extension of training it mattered little.

Sylvain Deslandes got his first start of pre-season at centre half while Connor Ronan was in central midfield and Ruben Vinagre started on the left.

Wolves came into the game on the back off a bruising encounter at Shrewsbury on Saturday – quite literally for Ruben Neves who took a bad bruise on the back of the calf and so missed this match. Nouha Dicko also sat this one out with an unspecified injury.

But any hope of a more sedate affair was quickly vanquished by a few tasty earlier challenges by the hosts, but also by Wolves who looked up for the fight this time.

Jack Price in particularly was putting himself about but the teams only seemed to spur each other on and by the half time whistle it has descended into what felt like a blood and thunder local derby.

Michal Zyro, only just back after 15 months out with a knee injury caused by a horror tackle, was on the receiving end of a couple of bad ones, as was Matt Doherty who had to received treatment just before the break for a tackle from Gwion Edwards that led the two teams into a handbags shoving match.

It all made for depressing viewing. What was meant to be a good opportunity for Wolves to further hone their new 3-4-3 formation and patient passing style of play ended up as anything but.

Yes they'll have to get used to some rough treatment – after all, you'd struggle to find a Championship team that isn't physical – but some of the sliding tackles were extreme to say the least and yet referee N Hair didn't get his book out once.

Aside from a couple of long range shots from Connor Ronan and Ivan Cavaleiro, and a couple of dangerous set pieces from the hosts, there was absolutely no goalmouth action to speak of and it was a relief when the ref blew his whistle for the break.

Performance-wise Ruben Vinagre impressed more than anyone with a couple of impressive darting, jinking runs. Ronan and Jack Price did their best to spray it around but there was little of the fluent football Nuno wants to see on show.

Nuno made 10 changes at half time with only Joe Mason staying on. Jota came on for his debut while Jordan Graham got his first first-team action of pre-season at right wing back.

Wolves, as on Saturday, improved immediately and began creating chances. Barry Douglas' whipped corner somehow evaded everyone in the six yard box and then Mason got in down the left but saw his shot saved by the keeper at the near post.

They were playing far more on the front foot and Graham was enjoying taking on his man and bending the ball into the box.

And, after a lull in the action, it was Graham who helped break the deadlock by creating a special moment for teenager Samuels.

The winger took Romain Saiss' pass, advanced upfield at pace and curled a perfect ball into the box where a sliding Samuels impressively steered it past the keeper.

He celebrated wildly in front of the Wolves fans – you'd have to go pretty far to see a more vigorously celebrated pre-season goal.

Thereafter it was fairly comfortable for the visitors, who looked more threatening than the first half team, overlapping at pace and causing problems all over the final third.

Bright Enobakhare almost added a second late on after a rampaging run but his shot was saved.

Wolves now host Leicester City at Molineux on Saturday – and then the serious business really starts.

Wolves first half (3-4-3): Ruddy, Batth (c), Miranda, Deslandes; Doherty; Price, Ronan, Vinagre; Mason, Zyro, Cavaleiro.

Wolves second half (3-4-3): Burgoyne; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Graham, Edwards, Saiss, Douglas; Enobakhare, Mason (Samuels, 62), Jota. Subs not used: Simpson, Watt, McKenna.

Goal: Samuels (70)