Shropshire Star

MK Dons 1 Wolves 0

Try as they might, Wolves' preparations for the Premier League are going anything but smoothly. Try as they might, Wolves' preparations for the Premier League are going anything but smoothly. First it was Chris Iwelumo, then Kevin Doyle and Dave Jones sidelined by injury. Andrew Surman followed, and, along with the non-football disruptions to the start of their Wolves careers of Nenad Milijas and Ronald Zubar and the ongoing concerns to Michael Kightly, trialist Jerome Thomas became the latest to suffer misfortune last night. Click here for pictures Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star

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wolves_logo5Try as they might, Wolves' preparations for the Premier League are going anything but smoothly.

First it was Chris Iwelumo, then Kevin Doyle and Dave Jones sidelined by injury.

Andrew Surman followed, and, along with the non-football disruptions to the start of their Wolves careers of Nenad Milijas and Ronald Zubar and the ongoing concerns to Michael Kightly, trialist Jerome Thomas became the latest to suffer misfortune last night.

Click here for pictures

Left winger Thomas, who had missed a golden chance to score within 100 seconds of his debut, lasted barely half an hour before limping off with a hamstring niggle.

"It would be nice to get shut of all our problems," said boss Mick McCarthy.

"It's not been easy – the bulk of the transfer money in terms of signings, Kevin Doyle and Nenad Milijas, have both been disrupted.

"Doyle has hardly kicked a ball because of his injury and Nenad had to get his work permit, so he hasn't really got himself up to full tilt yet, although I'm delighted with him now."

While former Molineux warriors Paul Ince and Alex Rae were in the MK Dons dugout and ex-Wolves youngsters Stephen Gleeson, Lewis Gobern, Jermaine Easter and Jemal Johnson were on the pitch, Wolves, who improved slightly on Saturday's lacklustre performance at Bristol City, played the final 26 minutes with a 4-5-1 formation in a repeat of the experiment they trialled at Ashton Gate.

McCarthy's ever-changing side – he used 20 players last night – again had plenty of half chances, only to lose after trailing at the break for the third game in a row.

Molineux Academy graduate Easter showed how it should be done six minutes before the break as Wolves trailed to lower division opposition for the third friendly in a row.

Easter powered past a despairing challenge from Richard Stearman to fire off Wayne Hennessey and into the opposite corner of the net from a tight angle following a long kick by Gueret.