A second-half goal from Fer Lopez gave Wolves a 1-0 victory in their derby meeting with West Brom in the Sky Bet Championship at Molineux. Lopez took advantage of a mistake by Nat Phillips after 50 minutes when the Albion defender played the ball straight to the Wolves forward, who scored his fifth goal of the season. Goalkeeper Max O'Leary had kept West Brom in the game during the first half with three outstanding saves as Wolves dominated, with forward Mateus Mane causing problems for James Morrison's side.
Wolves deserved the victory on a day when Albion rarely threatened in the first Molineux meeting between the West Midlands rivals in 14 years. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The match produced a partisan atmosphere from a 30,000 crowd, but Albion were the ones who failed to react. Wolves head coach, Cesar Peixoto, in his first season at the club, led the celebrations when the final whistle blew.
O'Leary produced the first of a trio of saves with a spectacular 11th-minute stop to keep out a header from Wolves defender Nasser Djiga. Kieran Trippier, returning at right-back after recovering from a knee injury, delivered a cross for Marshall Munetsi, whose header was blocked. The ball fell to Djiga, but O'Leary tipped the ball on to the underside of the crossbar.
Mane looked sharp and Jayson Molumby was booked by referee Josh Smith for bringing down the Wolves forward, who then tested O'Leary with an angled drive that the Albion goalkeeper blocked at his near post. O'Leary then made it a trio of saves with another superb stop. Mane's cross was met by Munetsi whose close-range header was goalbound.
But O'Leary showed excellent reflexes to change direction and keep the ball out with an outstretched hand. Wolves maintained pressure on the Albion goal and Mane created another opening after 37 minutes, but Lopez sliced his shot wide. Lopez was alert to the situation when Albion lost concentration after the break while playing out from the back.
O'Leary rolled the ball out and his defence looked in control until Phillips played a pass straight into Lopez's path. The Spanish forward made the most of the opportunity and clipped a shot over O'Leary and into the far corner of the goal from eight yards out. They almost made it two after 58 minutes when Mane's cross found Adam Armstrong whose shot was blocked.
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