Wolves 1 Preston North End 3

One team at Molineux on Saturday showed all the hallmarks of a title-chasing team.

They defended doggedly, got in the opposition's faces, attacked with venom and finished clinically.

Unfortunately for Wolves fans, it was play-off challengers Preston and not the team that has led the Championship for all but a three-week spell since August who looked the most likely promotion-winning outfit.

As a result, a second home defeat of the season was potentially damaging to their position and morale.

As a performance, it seemed tired, stodgy and lacklustre, save for a brief snappy spell either side of the opening goal, a gift accepted by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake after 20 minutes.

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Looking ahead, it doesn't get any easier as Wolves are forced to seek a recovery strategy away from Molineux.

The possibility of three successive away games with Birmingham tomorrow night, Bristol City on Saturday and Reading on the 27th is a demanding schedule without the prospect of an FA Cup fourth round tie against Middlesbrough three days before that trip to the Madejski Stadium.

But the Cup could just be Wolves' saviour at the moment.

Tomorrow night's re-arranged tie at St Andrews has provided boss Mick McCarthy with a dilemma to wrestle with – whether to select a strong side to try to secure a victory which could kickstart a league campaign that has suddenly started to show cracks.

Perhaps no one saw this coming, but maybe a display like this had been waiting to happen for some weeks.

Whether it's the pressure of being top dogs, the opposition winding themselves into a lather to beat them, or simply the fact that Wolves haven't been at the their best for the last four games, McCarthy's side aren't quite clicking just at the moment.

Two points out of nine may isn't a crisis.

Such was the juggernaut force that Wolves raced clear of the pack during the first half of the season that they remain four points clear of second-placed Reading.

But the exciting power play that left team after team trailing in their wake not so long ago has currently deserted them.

For the first time this season on Saturday, the anxiety that the fruits of the club's young and hungry policy has done so well to hold at bay returned in the form of a few isolated boos from the crowd.

In Richard Stearman, Mick McCarthy has a more than capable right-back, while Jason Shackell has plenty of Championship experience.

But in losing Stearman's pace from the heart of the defence, Wolves seemed to struggle to press the opposition as high as they usually do, and that lack of urgency seemed to spread through the team.

Hassled out of possession up front, they lost the midfield battle and so inevitably found themselves under pressure in defence.

Perhaps it would have different if Ebanks-Blake had been on target with a second minute chance instead of dragging it well wide.

Even either side of the striker's 16th goal of the season which came following an awful kick from keeper Andy Lonergan after Youl Mawene's backpass, Michael Kightly should have done better with two openings.

But former Wolves ace Steve Elliott gave notice of his intentions against his old pals when his shot on the turn forced a fine one-handed save from Carl Ikeme.

Within a minute the Irishman showed why McCarthy had so much faith in him when he got across his man to bundle home to punish slack defending after a quickly-taken throw and Ross Wallace cross on 24.

Elliott curled inches wide before more sloppy defending allowed Sean St Ledger to force home after Jon Parkin hit the bar four minutes before the break.

The burly Parkin might not win any slimmer of the year contests but he was nippy enough to lead the Wolves defence a merry dance at times.

Wolves' best chance of an equaliser up until then fell to Neill Collins on 57, but he couldn't get the ball from out of his feet to shoot from six yards out.

Worse was to follow four minutes later when Elliott stabbed home after Carl Ikeme flapped at Wallace's cross and Chris Sedgwick cut the ball back across goal.

The writing was on the wall then, but to their credit, Wolves continued to attack and had their closest effort of the afternoon when Chris Iwelumo headed against the bar on 64.

Ten minutes later, the game's most controversial moment – the penalty that was then wasn't that forced the angry dismissal of Preston boss Alan Irvine – didn't affect the outcome.

Referee Colin Webster ruled Parkin had handled but was overruled by his assistant Steven Rushton on the far side.