Wolves won for the first time in five matches as they beat Brighton to move up to eighth in the Premier League table.
The visitors went ahead in first-half stoppage time thanks to Romain Saiss’ volley after Ruben Neves’ clever lifted pass over the Brighton defence.
Brighton should have equalised a minute later but Enock Mwepu could only shoot over the crossbar from three yards out.
Wolves, who had not scored in their previous four matches, had chances to double their lead but Fernando Marcal and Saiss both hit the woodwork and Daniel Podence had two efforts saved by home goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Brighton, without a win now in 12 matches in all competitions, would have moved into the top half with a victory, but drop to 13th.
Squads being stretched
Both teams were missing a number of key players, with Brighton without six-goal top scorer Neal Maupay and midfielder Pascal Gross. Shane Duffy was suspended, joining injured defenders Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster on the list of unavailable players for the hosts.
Wolves suffered a blow before the game as defender Rayan Ait-Nouri sustained a groin injury in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Marcal.
And there was an additional problem for Wolves boss Bruno Lage early on as Hwang Hee-chan, playing up front in place of the suspended Raul Jimenez, injured his hamstring in a challenge with Tariq Lamptey and went off after only 11 minutes, with Adama Traore on in his place.
Brighton manager Graham Potter would have been disappointed with his side’s defending that helped Wolves take the lead.
Yves Bissouma should have done much better with a clearance from a corner, but sliced the ball to Neves and his lifted pass caught out the Brighton defence with an unmarked Saiss volleying Wolves ahead.
But the visitors should have killed off the game after a dominant spell of pressure in the second half, which was interrupted by breaks in play as referee Tony Harrington, taking charge of his first Premier League match, was repeatedly having problems with his communication equipment with the video assistant referee.
Brighton had drawn eight of their past 10 league matches and were looking for their first win in all competitions since 22 September, but never really troubled Jose Sa’s goal in the second half.
Alexis Mac Allister shot well wide from 25 yards and not even the late introduction of former England midfielder Adam Lallana, along with 11 minutes of stoppage time, could bring Brighton back into it as Wolves held on for the three points.
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Brighton & Hove Albion
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Squad number1Player nameSánchez
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Squad number2Player nameLamptey
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Squad number34Player nameVeltman
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Squad number33Player nameBurn
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Squad number3Player nameCucurella
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Squad number12Player nameMwepu
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Squad number8Player nameBissouma
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Squad number15Player nameModer
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Squad number20Player nameMarch
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Squad number7Player nameConnolly
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Squad number11Player nameTrossard
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Squad number10Player nameMac Allister
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Squad number14Player nameLallana
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Squad number30Player nameRichards
Wolverhampton Wanderers
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Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
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Squad number23Player nameKilman
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Squad number16Player nameCoady
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Squad number27Player nameSaïss
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Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
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Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
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Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho
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Squad number5Player nameMarçal
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Squad number11Player nameTrincão
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Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
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Squad number26Player nameHwang Hee-Chan
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Squad number17Player nameFábio Silva
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Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
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Squad number37Player nameTraoré
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Sánchez
- 2Lamptey
- 34Veltman
- 33BurnBooked at 90mins
- 3Cucurella
- 12MwepuSubstituted forRichardsat 84′minutes
- 8BissoumaBooked at 69minsSubstituted forLallanaat 84′minutes
- 15Moder
- 20March
- 7ConnollySubstituted forMac Allisterat 61′minutes
- 11Trossard
Substitutes
- 10Mac Allister
- 14Lallana
- 16Scherpen
- 17Alzate
- 28Roberts
- 30Richards
- 42Leonard
- 55Turns
- 58Ferguson
Wolves
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Malheiro de Sá
- 23Kilman
- 16Coady
- 27Saïss
- 22Nélson Semedo
- 8Neves
- 28João Moutinho
- 5Marçal
- 11Machado TrincãoSubstituted forDendonckerat 90+4′minutes
- 10Podence
- 26Hwang Hee-ChanSubstituted forTraoréat 16′minutesSubstituted forFábio Silvaat 90+11′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Hoever
- 13Moulden
- 15Boly
- 17Fábio Silva
- 21Ruddy
- 32Dendoncker
- 37Traoré
- 39Cundle
- Referee:
- Tony Harrington
- Attendance:
- 30,362
Live Text
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Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
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Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
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Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by João Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fábio Silva replaces Adama Traoré.
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Attempt blocked. Leandro Trossard (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Leander Dendoncker (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Foul by Taylor Richards (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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João Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leander Dendoncker replaces Trincão.
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Dan Burn (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Dan Burn (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Adama Traoré (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Taylor Richards (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Romain Saïss (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Robert Sánchez tries a through ball, but Solly March is caught offside.
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Attempt blocked. Marc Cucurella (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Solly March.
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