Wolves 3 Cardiff 0: Cesar Peixoto's men climb to third in Championship

Wolves moved up to third in the Championship with a comfortable home win over Cardiff.

Fit-again Fer Lopez set Cesar Peixoto’s side on their way to their biggest victory since August when he headed home Hugo Bueno’s clever pass.

Adam Armstrong quickly doubled the advantage, with Ladislav Krejci heading the third in the second half.

Cardiff had twice as many shots on target as the home side but sent many of them straight at keeper Jose Sa.

Analysis

Even when Sa did appear to be beaten, Joel Colwill somehow missed the target from no more than a yard out as Wolves recorded their second straight clean sheet.

This match was all about their attack. Having paid the price for failing to kill-off Portsmouth and then laboured to victory against Watford in their previous two matches, here they were clinical and 2-0 up inside 15 minutes thanks to Lopez and Armstrong.

Lopez, back in the team after missing the previous match with a calf problem, was a cut above the rest while there was also an impressive performance from winger Rafiki Said, who set-up Armstrong’s second goal in as many weekends.

A week after Peixoto had been booed by a section of home supporters, the mood in Molineux was much more buoyant as Wolves recorded their biggest win since beating Stoke 4-1.

The head coach had promised an improved performance after a week on the training pitch and his team delivered, albeit they were also grateful to the Bluebirds for some wayward finishing.

For Peixoto, the only blot was a first half injury sustained by midfielder Jordan James,

Against Watford the previous Saturday, Wolves had managed to get just three of their 26 attempts on goal on target.

This time the first two efforts on target both resulted in goals.

Both keepers were tested before Lopez opened the scoring. James, starting consecutive matches for the first time this season, brought a sharp save from Nathan Trott after a neat passing move.

Chris Willock then forced Sa into serious work with a low drive the Wolves keeper pushed around the post.

Cardiff were far more adventurous than the Hornets had been but it left gaps which the home side ruthlessly exploited.

Bueno beat Ollie Tanner to a pass on the wing and then turned to charge through empty space in the middle of the park. Whether his pass to Lopez went precisely where he intended wasn’t clear but it ended up being perfect, bouncing into the box for his team-mate to send past the onrushing Trott with a diving header.

Against both Portsmouth and Watford the home side had been guilty of sitting back once in front.

Here they pushed on. Lopez lofted a pass from the centre circle out to Said, who cut inside and curled a cross perfectly onto the head of the unmarked Armstrong.

Wolves had scored twice for just the second time in eight matches, all inside the opening 15 minutes.

They should have been further ahead by the break but Said failed to accept a gift from Trott, who passed the ball straight to him on the edge of the box. The winger, who did not seem able to quite believe his fortune, fired it straight back into the keeper’s arms.

Cardiff were doing enough to suggest they were not entirely out of it. Jack Moyan shot straight at Sa, before Tanner struck a volley into the keeper’s midriff just before the break.

Sa then had to come out quickly to save from Colwill as the visitors again came close to cutting the deficit early in the second half.

Wolves were perhaps fortunate every Cardiff attempt was going down their keeper’s throat. Colwill fired straight at Sa again as nerves around Molineux began to rise just a little.

The next goal felt crucial and Wolves got it. Trippier swung in a corner and Krejci rose to glance home a header.

Cardiff to push on. Sa saved from Alex Robertson before a combination of the keeper and the post kept out Yousef Salach’s header. Colwill inexplicably put the loose ball wide from a yard out.

Key Moments

10 GOAL Fer Lopez heads Wolves in front after racing on to Huge Bueno’s chipped pass.

15 GOAL It’s 2-0 to Wolves as Adam Armstrong heads home Rafiki Said’s cross.

58 GOAL Wolves have more breathing room as Ladislav Krejci glances home Kieran Trippier’s corner.

Teams

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Sa, Trippier, Mosquera, Krejci, Bueno, Andre (Doyle 76), Munetsi, Lopez (Gomes 67), James (Bellegarde 36), Said (Mane 67), Armstrong (Chirewa 76) Subs not used: Neave, Toti, Tchatchoua, Virginia (gk).

Cardiff (4-2-3-1): Trott, Scanlon (Ashford 61), Bagan, Fish (Kpakio 72), Ng, Moylan, Robertson (Turnbull 72), Willock (Colwill R 61), Colwill J, Tanner (Holt 88), Salech Subs not used: Tankiewicz, Tyrer, Moreno, Anyadike (gk).