Wolves 1 (N. Collins 90)
Coventry City 0
Neill Collins headed Wolves to victory with a late, late winner against Coventry City just as the Midlands derby looked certain to end in a goalless draw.
Collins struck deep into injury time in a game marred by injuries to Wayne Hennessey and Michael Gray who were both helped off inside the first half-hour after collisions with City's Robbie Simpson.
Wolves, once again unchanged, kicked-off attacking the hotel end and after two early attacks were thwarted by the Sky Blues defence, the first goal attempt fell to Michael Mifsud whose low shot was parried by Hennessey and cleared by Kevin Foley.
Gray and Gary Breen failed to clear a long ball from the Coventry defence and there was a moment of danger when Dele Adebola took advantage but his shot was blocked by Jody Craddock
Some good work by Stephen Ward on the left saw him beating Isaac Osbourne before delivering a low shot that was cut out by Stephen Hughes at the near post.
With 18 minutes gone, Wolves lost the services of Gray who suffered a hamstring injury after going for a 50/50 ball with Simpson. The defender immediately signalled that he had a problem and he was helped off with Collins coming on as his replacement.
Andy Keogh's first time shot was saved by Andy Marshall after Stephen Elliott had helped on Ward's centre.
Gary Borrowdale went into the book for pulling back Michael Kightly to the right of the City box before Wolves suffered a second injury blow.
Again Simpson was in the thick of things as he collided with Hennessey in going for a loose ball. The keeper was forced off with a hip injury with Graham Stack coming on as his replacement.
Stack was soon called into action as he dived low to claim Mifsud's shot from the tightest of angles and when Wolves went forward moments later Stephen Ward was too high with a driven effort after he had cut in from the left.
Five minutes before the break Kightly ran between two defenders as he chased Karl Henry's through ball into the area. Kightly struck a firm shot that Marshall knocked into the air but the winger was penalised for a push as he tried to get a head to the loose ball.
Then Kightly went close again with a goalbound shot that took a deflection and flew just over the bar. In stoppage time he was booked for a challenge on Borrowdale.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 City 0
Freddy Eastwood was a half-time replacement for Stephen Ward but the visitors had the first clear chance of the half with Stack knocking Hughes' shot up into the air and leaping to claim the loose ball.
Seyi Olofinjana drilled a 25-yard effort narrowly over the bar before Stack figured again as he beat down a Mifsud shot with Breen completing the clearance at the expense of a corner.
Mifsud went into the book for dissent after Ben Turner had headed over from a Hughes corner, before Craddock got in a timely block as Adebola homed in on goal.
Breen, who was suffering from a nose bleed, was ordered off by the referee for treatment and then booked for returning to the field without permission.
Appeals for a penalty after Osbourne's challenge on Henry were waved away and then the Wolves midfielder went into the book after he had fouled Michael Doyle.
Craddock threw himself in front of a Simpson shot and, as Coventry threatened once more, Breen was penalised on the edge of his own area after Mifsud had appeared to run into him.
Words were exchanged between members of each team and a bout of pushing and shoving followed with the referee having a word with Collins and Mifsud when order had been restored. The defensive wall did its job when the free-kick was taken.
Kightly went on a surging run down the left but his centre was just too high for Eastwood then, in the 79th minute, Doyle missed a golden opportunity for the Sky Blues when he fired wide of the far post after running on to a pass from Jay Tabb.
With 30 seconds of the four minutes of added time remaining, Collins grabbed the winner. Kightly regained possession after his corner had been half cleared and he returned the ball into the box for Collins to power a header past Marshall from eight-yards out (pictured).
Wolves: Hennessey (Stack 30), Foley, Gray (N. Collins 20), Olofinjana, Breen (capt), Craddock, Kightly, Henry, Keogh, Elliott, S. Ward (Eastwood 45).
Unused subs: Bothroyd, Gleeson.
Bookings: Breen (65 - entering field of play without permission), Henry (69 - foul).
City: Marshall, E. Ward, Hughes, Doyle (capt), Adebola (Kyle 75), Osbourne, Mifsud, Tabb, Simpson (Best 89), Borrowdale, Turner.
Unused subs: McNamee, Hughes, Thornton.
Bookings: Doyle (22 - dissent), Borrowdale (25 - foul), Mifsud (54 - dissent), Kyle (83 - kick ball away).
Referee: K. Stroud.
Attendance: 24,338.
GoldRush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Coventry City: 2 - 3 - 6 - 15
Bolton 1 Wolves Academy Under 18s 1 (Tulloch)
