Fulham 2 Wolves 1

STICKS and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you.

Wolves are finding that adage out the hard way but it's a small price to pay for survival.

As chants of 'disgrace to the Premiership' rung round Craven Cottage, Mick McCarthy's side bore the brunt of Fulham fans' disquiet as they came agonisingly close to a point on Saturday.

You can bet there will be more taunts and jibes of a similar nature over the next eight months, though the men from Molineux are hardly going to lose any sleep over it. The Premier League is not a popularity contest.

What are they supposed to do, come to the capital, roll over and lose? Yes, they lost and didn't play 'total football' but that competitive streak which burns so brightly is their biggest resource.

A McCarthy team is hardly going to be one of shrinking violets and the passion instilled in them has made them ultra-competitive, but not dirty.

They have already been forced to defend their honour once, following the draw against Newcastle last time out, and to find themselves doing so again highlights they are making waves.

Wolves are seen as a threat. They have been tarred and feathered with the 'bully boys' tag after collecting 14 yellow cards and one red in their last two games.

That image will not be helped by the sight of Bobby Zamora being carried off with a broken leg at Craven Cottage, but the England striker's injury wasn't down to any Wolves rough-housing.

They will be heckled and criticised but there's always a target for the purists to harangue.

Last season Stoke were the critics' favourites. They were branded as one-dimensional but are now looked upon as the flag-bearers for the unfashionable.

Wolves are suffering the same fate for a different reason. There is always one team who puts their head above the parapet to be shot down. Bolton did it for years and Blackburn - under the same manager, Sam Allardyce - followed suit.

It is only to be expected in the Premier League goldfish bowl but others have dealt with it and there are few reasons why Wolves won't too.

The top flight needs teams like them. Ones who will stick two fingers up to the establishment and say 'bring it on'. They are hardly a disgrace.

There is no fear in this squad and nor should there be. That was plainly obvious in the way they went about their business by the Thames on Saturday.

Robust and resolute they frustrated Fulham as the home faithful conveniently ignored the fact their team failed to create clear openings and instead concentrated their vitriol on the visitors.

But on closer inspection, Jody Craddock and Christophe Berra formed an impressive barrier before the latter was sent off for a second bookable offence in injury time. They were competitive and nothing more. Fulham, for all their pretty football and possession, overplayed and only seriously threatened on occasion.

The visitors were a solid, well drilled, unit as Karl Henry and the returning Michael Mancienne broke up play while Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake made a nuisance of themselves up top.

Two goals from Moussa Dembele, one opportunistic strike and the other a deflected free-kick, sunk Wolves who deserved something.

A ropey start, which saw Craddock escape a red card for tripping Simon Davies in the area, gave way to a goal against the run of play from Jelle van Damme.

Doyle did well to hold off Brede Hangeland - although the Norwegian claimed a foul - to deliver a sweet cross for the unmarked Belgian to sweep in at the far post.

Fulham tried to recover but were stunned when Zamora's leg buckled under Henry's fair challenge midway through the first half and the striker was carried off and rushed to hospital.

It was an unfortunate accident and there was no malice from the Wolves skipper, who was subsequently subjected to a torrent of abuse from the home fans.

But they were cheering three minutes after the break when Fulham levelled as Dembele engineered space to poke in a loose ball from 16 yards.

Ex-Albion star Zoltan Gera volleyed over soon afterwards but the Cottagers were wasteful while Wolves had the poise to soak up the pressure and counter attack.

Chris Baird hacked away Doyle's goalbound header and Ebanks-Blake hit the side netting before Marcus Hahnemann - who had a relatively comfortable afternoon - escaped a penalty claim after tangling with Davies.

They looked like claiming a point until the 91st minute when Berra walked for his second yellow card and Dembele struck, via a deflection, a low free-kick into the bottom corner.

Wolves were buried but not dead, and they'll be stronger for it next time.

By Nick Mashiter