Wolves hosted relegation rivals Ipswich in their biggest game of the Premier League season so far.
After losing to Bournemouth, Everton and West Ham, Gary O’Neil was fortunate to still be in the dugout at Wolves by the time his side played Ipswich.
The Old Gold have had several must-win games in recent weeks but this was the most important of them all and it got off to the worst start possible when some calamitous defending saw the visitors open the scoring.
Chaplin’s strike hit Toti Gomes and then Matt Doherty before the ball squirmed over the line as chants of O’Neil to get sacked verberated around Molineux.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde then had a golden chance to score but the Frenchman blazed the ball horribly over the bar and then it took till the 33rd minute for them to have their first shot on target.
It was a miserable first half that lacked so much quality and in the second stanza, that trend continued until Matheus Cunha lashed one home with his weaker left after being teed up by substitute Goncalo Guedes.
Wolves then looked the most likely to score the winner, inspired by the substitute Tommy Doyle, who pulled the strings in midfield, and the influential Cunha.
But just as it looked like the game was ending in a 1-1 draw, Wolves were hit with their Achilles heel in the final minute of stoppage time after conceding a corner goal, dealing their chances of survival a huge blow and surely putting O’Neil on the brink of the sack for the umpteenth time.
Here’s how the players rated.
Wolves player ratings vs Ipswich
Sam Johnstone – 4
Johnstone showed why O’Neil has a problem with both of his Wolves goalkeepers. The Englishman rushed out of his goal before Ipswich scored his first and flapped at multiple crosses. Although he made some decent saves, this was far from a convincing display.
Nelson Semedo – 4
Semedo was named as the new Wolves captain, perhaps controversially, and he didn’t lead by example on the pitch. The 31-year-old was bullied by the powerful Liam Delap in the lead-up to Ipswich’s first goal and is better suited as a right wing-back.
Santi Bueno – 4
Bueno showed his inexperience at the highest level. An ill-disciplined performance; diving into challenges needlessly and gifting away petty fouls. His lack of pace and mobility is worrying.
Toti Gomes – 3
It was a clumsy display from Toti, who gifted possession away needlessly on several occasions and didn’t fill anyone with confidence off the ball. Another player who was bullied by the unstoppable Delap in attack.
Matt Doherty – 4
Matt Doherty was promising against West Ham, showing his quality as an attacking weapon and firing in a goal. The Republic of Ireland star was nowhere near the level on this occasion, though, as he scored an own goal and wasn’t up to speed in attack.
Mario Lemina – 5
Lemina was stripped of his captaincy this week after his petulance on Monday night. The midfielder was guilty of giving away multiple fouls and when the game required quality, he fell drastically short.
Andre – 1
A hugely disappointing performance from the Brazilian international. Just when Wolves needed a bit of class in midfield, he failed to provide it and was rightfully hooked for Tommy Doyle at half-time.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 3
Ait-Nouri’s defensive frailties were exposed against Wes Burns, and the Algerian was fortunate not to get at least a yellow card for putting his head into Burns and giving him a little slap. The 23-year-old was then shown one moments later and will now miss the trip to Leicester. An unprofessional performance.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 1
Wolves fans will have questioned his inclusion in the starting XI and decision to go with a two-man midfield in Gomes’ absence. The Frenchman didn’t justify his selection either; he was wasteful in attack, blazing a brilliant chance over the bar and rarely looking like creating anything for his side.
Matheus Cunha – 8
Cunha was Wolves’ saviour once more. It wasn’t the Brazilian’s best game in gold but as usual, he was their most influential player. He produced an excellent finish on his weaker left foot and produced a few saves out of Arijanet towards the end.
Jorgen Strand Larsen – 7
On a difficult afternoon for Wolves, Strand Larsen was positive every time he received the ball and looked a huge threat. The Norwegian was so unfortunate not to score late on when his outstretched attempt crept wide of the post.
Substitutes
Tommy Doyle – 7
Doyle made a huge difference in midfield after being brought on for Andre. He used the ball well, dictating play centrally and releasing possession quickly instead of holding onto it for too long. The Englishman has surely played his way into the side.
Goncalo Guedes – 7
Guedes made an instant impact in the second half after coming off the bench and assisting Cunha.