Birmingham City 0 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

The Brazilian netted his 12th goal of the season in the eighth minute – a rebound after Ivan Cavaleiro and Diogo Jota had both been denied.

Wolves created further opportunities with Jota and substitute Helder Costa going close.

Blues never really threatened to equalise and after Harley Dean was sent off for pushing Jota Wolves comfortably saw the game out.

Analysis

For a while this resembled anything but a West Midlands derby.

Wolves produced in patches the kind of football rarely seen in these parts, with silky, sumptuous play that had Blues surely fearing a heavy defeat, writes Tim Spiers at St Andrew's.

The second half was much more familiar – rugged tackles, a tight 45 minutes of few chances, a boisterous atmosphere and a red card – and still Wolves came out of top.

They've come through some stern tests this season and despite the fact Blues couldn't muster a single shot on target this was another one.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team were beautiful to watch at times in the first 45 minutes but the second half was a different story and they had to grind this one out.

Despite a couple of relatively minor scares they did so with relative ease, particularly after Harley Dean's red card, with John Ruddy remaining untested behind an impenetrable defence that has conceded only two goals in six matches.

A sold-out away end lapped it up as they witnessed, not for the first time, their team produce a victory that had all the hallmarks of a promotion winner – playing below their best and winning.

Match report

Alfred N'Diaye got the nod over Jack Price to replace the suspended Ruben Neves in the only change from the team that beat Bolton 5-1 last weekend.

Blues were unchanged, meaning ex-Wolves midfielder David Davis was on the bench after recovering from a knee injury where he was joined by Stephen Gleeson.

There were 28 points between the sides at the start of play and it certainly showed during a dominant first half performance from Wolves.

They began on the front foot, striking fear into the Blues defence with some sumptuous movement particularly from Diogo Jota, Ivan Cavaleiro and Leo Bonatini.

It only took them eight minutes to break the deadlock when Bonatini fired his 12th goal of the season over the line – well, just over the line – with Blues keeper David Stockdale producing an admirable effort to deny him after saving first from Cavaleiro and then from Jota.

Blues' only tactics in the early stages appeared to be 'kick Jota' (you wouldn't have been surprised to read that in big red letters on the home tactics board) and Marc Roberts was very fortunate to avoid a red card for a horrendous tackle from behind right in front of the Wolves bench.

Nuno and his staff were understandably livid but Roberts, who had caught Jota off the ball a few minutes earlier, escaped with a yellow.

Thereafter Wolves' only negative in the first half was the fact they only scored one goal. Cavaleiro was picking up where he'd left off against Bolton and tested Stockdale from 18 yards before firing over from long range, while the rampaging Matt Doherty almost picked out Bonatini with a low cross.

The home supporters soon grew agitated with what was a very evident gulf in class and the Blues team responded with fear, regularly giving the ball away.

Indeed the biggest difference between the sides was how they kept possession. Wolves played like a smooth ride in a Rolls Royce with heated seats and a cup holder – Blues were a clapped out Robin Reliant with a dodgy exhaust and a radio stuck on Country Music FM.

Everything was going wrong for Blues, who were booed off at half time. Even the PA system failed to work during the break.

There was a notable improvement at the start of the second half from the hosts who, with the introduction of Gleeson, began to keep possession albeit without threatening the Wolves goal in what was a very flat 15 minutes.

Bonatini teed up Jota in a rare Wolves attack and then Helder Costa was introduced in place of Cavaleiro as Nuno tried to get his team going again.

Blues' fans tried to do that with their team, raising the noise volume tenfold after what had been a deathly quiet opening hour other than boos and howls of frustration.

The action on the pitch was minimal in what had descended into a scrappy contest – and then minutes after his introduction Costa should have doubled Wolves' lead but tried to drift past keeper Stockdale instead of shooting and the keeper blocked.

N'Diaye was then perhaps lucky to stay on the field after an altercation where he appeared to push his forehead towards Kieftenbeld, but the referee gave a booking.

Wolves had created the half's only two chances but Nuno won't have been happy with their performance – they were sluggish and slow and offering a way back into the game for Blues.

Better teams would have punished them but Blues, despite a bit of rabble rousing from what was now a fired-up crowd and team, still only offered crosses and set pieces as a threat.

Nuno looked to get a grip in the form of Jack Price, who replaced Bonatini with 15 minutes to go, with N'Diaye moving up front, and Price did what fellow Compton Park academy graduate Gleeson had done earlier, adding calmness and poise to his team's midfield.

Wolves were beginning to look assured again – and Harley Dean's red card for foolishly interrupting another Jota/Roberts flashpoint by pushing the Wolves man to the floor – ensured it was a comfortable final few minutes as Nuno's team made it six wins in a row.

Key moments

8 – GOAL – Ivan Cavaleiro picks up on a loose pass and fires goalwards – it's saved by David Stockdale, who saves the rebound from Diogo Jota and then a third shot from LEO BONATINI but from behind the line, with the goal decision system judging it was in.

11 – Marc Roberts scythes through the back of Jota with a dreadful foul. Referee Simon Hooper says it's only a yellow.

23 – Jota and Bonatini are both involved in the build-up before Cavaleiro sees a decent effort saved.

64 – Helder Costa is sent through on goal – he tries to round Stockdale but the keeper blocks at his feet.

83 – Harley Dean is sent off for Blues after pushing Jota to the floor.

Line ups

Blues (5-3-2: Stockdale, Nsue, Roberts, Morrison (c), Dean, Grounds; Kieftenbeld, N'Doye (Davis, 80), Jota (Gleeson, 45); Boga, Jutkiewicz (Adams, 68). Subs: Trueman, Cotterill, Maghoma, Gallagher.

Red card: Dean (83)

Wolves (3-4-3): John Ruddy; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Saiss (Enobakhare, 80), N'Diaye, Douglas; Cavaleiro (Costa, 60), Bonatini (Price, 75), Jota. Subs: Norris, Batth, Miranda, Vinagre.

Goals: Bonatini (8)

Attendance: 19,641 (2,455 Wolves fans)

Referee: Simon Hooper

League position

1st (47 points from 20 matches)