Wolves hold on to claim narrow win as Luton plunge deeper into trouble
After no wins in their side’s last six outings, you couldn’t blame Wolves fans for fearing a tepid end to the season.
Their pulses may have been racing after an electric start here however, with an end-to.end encounter resulting in an early opening for Hwang Hee-chan.
Despite the frenetic nature of the game, there was a distinct lack of quality in the final third, although Hwang went close once more when his side-footed effort from 12 yards was thwarted by Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
With their PL survival chances waning with every passing week, Luton upped their tempo towards the end of the first half.
To their credit, they were as adventurous in attack this afternoon as they have been all season, but once again their defence was found lacking.
Shortly after Carlton Morris headed a golden chance straight at Sá, Hwang finally found his goal, albeit in fortuitous circumstances, when his sweeping effort from inside the penalty area deflected past Kaminski.
Matters went from bad to worse for the visitors as Wolves doubled their lead just minutes into the second period when Toti met Mario Lemina’s curling cross with a sumptuous diving header.
With Gary O'Neil’s side having lost just two of their last 15 games against promoted sides, the second goal granted the hosts the ability to play with more freedom, and they had fully asserted themselves on the ball as the game ticked past the hour mark.
There were initially zero signs of a Luton comeback in the final stages - instead it was Wolves who continued to probe for a third as they harried their visitors out of possession.
But as has been the case so often this season, the Hatters refused to relent and found themselves unexpectedly back in the game after Morris volleyed home from 10 yards.
The goal flipped the contest on its head, setting up a frantic final 10 minutes. Once again, though, Luton fell just short on a difficult day in the West Midlands.
Now, they are in desperate need of a victory when they meet Everton for a crunch battle next Friday.
Wolves, meanwhile, move up to 10th and, while European football may be beyond them this term, they can be content with their form on whole, which gives them plenty to build upon.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
