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6 months ago
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Luton Town supporter Stuart Attwell could do nothing about the outcome of this game as his team’s Premier League survival chances took a dip at Molineux.
A banner held up by Luton fans before the game read ‘Stuart Attwell – he’s one of our own’ after the Premier League referee disallowed two Wolves goals in their 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday night.
Attwell’s allegiance has been highlighted after Nottingham Forest complained about him being the VAR for their 2-0 defeat at Everton.
This time, goals from Hwang Hee-chan – his first for four months – and Toti either side of half-time gave Gary O’Neil’s side the advantage to end their seven-match winless streak before Carlton Morris halved the deficit in the 80th minute.
It made it a miserable first managerial Molineux return for Luton boss Rob Edwards after stints as player, academy coach and caretaker manager at Wolves.
Hwang Hee-chan celebrates scoring the first goal in Wolves' 2-1 win over Luton
Toti Gomes heads in what turned out to be the winner as Wolves inflicted defeat on Luton
The defeat leaves the Hatters still in the bottom three one point behind Nottingham Forest
It was the first time forwards Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha had started a game together since December 27, when the South Korean scored twice in a 4-1 Premier League win at Brentford, his last goals for the club.
MATCH FACTS
Wolves XI (3-5-1-1): Sa, Doherty, Kilman, T. Gomes, Semedo, Traore, J. Gomes, Lemina, Ait-Nouri (Bueno 85), Cunha (Sarabia 76), Hwang.
Subs: Bentley, Doyle, Gonzalez, Barnett, Okoduwa, Chirewa, Fraser
Goal-scorers: Hwang, 39, Gomes 50
Booked: Gomes, Hwang, Sarabia
Manager: Gary O'Neil
Luton (3-4-2-1): Kaminski, Burke, Mengi, Osho, Hashioka (Woodrow 68), Lokonga, Barkley (Adebayo 78), Doughty (Onyedinma 88), Clark (Berry 68), Chong, Morris
Subs: Shea, Krul, Mpanzu, Townsend, Johnson
Goal-scorer: Morris, 80
Booked: Lokonga
Manager: Rob Edwards
Referee: David Coote
And the pair combined to put Wolves ahead in the 39th minute.
Luton threatened in the fifth minute when midfielder Ross Barkley sidestepped Boubacar Traore and curled goalwards from 20 yards but Jose Sa tipped the ball away at full stretch.
Wolves’ first chance came when clean-through Hwang Hee-chan fired too close to goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski after Nelson Semedo put the South Korean through.
Cunha then lost his balance at the worst possible moment when he chased down a loose ball in front of Kaminski.
The Brazilian was instrumental in Wolves taking the lead however.
Luton striker Carlton Morris headed straight at Sa from Jordan Clark’s cross, and, from Sa’s long kick, Cunha held off Reece Burke then found Hwang Hee-chan to his left as play swept from one end to the other.
The South Korean beat Teden Mengi before burying a low shot past Kaminski that nicked off Mengi
Luton had the worst possible start to the second half when they fell further behind in the 50th minute.
Toti met Mario Lemina’s first-time cross with a downward header from close range that gave Kaminski no chance after Joao Gomes worked a corner short to Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Wolves were seemingly in total control but failed to turn their supremacy into goals.
Rob Edwards share his frustration as his side fail to find an equaliser against Wolves
Clean-through Nelson Semedo, then Ait-Nouri and Lemina all missed chances to extend their lead.
Morris punished them when he hooked home after Reece Burke beat Ait-Nouri to head down for the striker to volley home his 10th Premier League goal of the season.
Substitute Cauley Woodrow -the son of late Wolves midfielder Martin Patching – crashed a volley just wide as the Hatters sought an equaliser.
Another Luton sub, Luke Berry, unleashed a snapshot in the dying seconds but his fierce effort flew straight at Sa.
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