MATCH REPORT: WOLVES 1 – 0 BURNLEY

Clarets fall to defeat at Molineux

The only goal of a tight contest came when Hee Chan Hwang fired in from close range three minutes before half time which proved to be the winner at Molineux.

Manager Vincent Kompany made one change from the side that won 5-0 on the weekend as Hjalmar Ekdal was handed his first start of the season replacing the suspended Jordan Beyer in central defence.

First Half

After a quiet opening in the Midlands, Burnley forced their first corner of the game when Bruun Larsen picked out Brownhill on the edge of the area, but the midfielder’s effort was blocked and diverted away from goal by the legs of Lemina.

An opportunity fell to Taylor on the edge of the are after a cleared corner fell kindly to the full-back, similar to his first Burnley goal at Bournemouth, but the defender could only lift the ball way over the crossbar this time.

Wolves then had their first real opportunity midway through the first half when Sarabia latched onto Semedo’s fizzing ball into the area and poked it just over Trafford’s crossbar.

Kompany’s side were forced into an early change with 10 minutes until the break as Koleosho picked up a knock and made way for Gudmundsson with the game still goalless and not much to separate the two sides.

Gudmundsson was straight into the thick of the action after coming on and teed up Rodriguez inside the box but the in-form striker’s effort was denied by Bentley, before Brownhill saw his follow-up effort tipped wide by the former Bristol City goalkeeper.

But with three minutes until the break, Wolves carved open the first goal when Sarabia intercepted a pass and Hwang was eventually teed up to slot home from close range.

Second Half

With not much between the two sides apart from Hwang’s opener, Wolves came close to a second of the night when Dawson guided the ball just wide of the post from close range.

Trafford was then tested with 20 minutes left on the clock when the lively Sarabia curled a free-kick from the edge of the area towards the top corner only for the England U21 shot-stopper to push it wide.

Burnley were beginning to apply pressure on the hosts as the final 10 minutes approached and a chance fell to Vitinho on the edge of the box but the Brazilian could only fire over the bar.

The Clarets pushed for a late equaliser and enjoyed plenty of the ball in the latter stages but the Wolves defence stood resilient to keep the visitors at bay.

Burnley: Trafford, Vitinho (Odobert 90), O’Shea, Ekdal (Redmond 90), Taylor, Brownhill, Berge, Amdouni, Koleosho (Gudmundsson 35), Bruun Larsen (Tresor 70), Rodriguez

Unused substitutes: Muric, Al-Dakhil, Delcroix, Zaroury, Odobert, Ramsey, Redmond

Wolves: Bentley, Bueno, Dawson, Sarabia (Bellegarde 78), Semedo, Gomes, Lemina, Cunha (Traore), Kilman, Toti, Hwang

Unused substitutes: King, Doherty, Bueno, Traore, Silva, Kalajdzic, Doyle, Chirewa

Goals: Hwang 42’