Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes give Luton mountain to climb

Another chance gone for Luton. Not for the first time this season, they failed to pull themselves from the relegation zone when opportunity presented itself. If this was not last week’s surrender to Brentford, then soft goals conceded to Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes pointed to a team short of the quality to save itself. Even during Luton’s late surge after Carlton Morris’s goal, Wolves showed a knowhow to see out victory.

Despite the legal wrangles and points deductions that have pockmarked the 2023-24 season Luton have not been out of the bottom three since November. If their remaining schedule of Everton, West Ham and Fulham look winnable, the same was said of Molineux.

“It’s frustrating how we conceded the two goals, but I have got pride in how we kept going,” said Rob Edwards. “That’s the stuff we can hang on to going into the final three games. Points-wise we are on a difficult run, but we’re still in this. We still fully believe.”

With Nottingham Forest sending out distress signals involving the Luton leanings of Stuart Attwell and facing Manchester City on Sunday, winning at Wolves could further stir panic at the City Ground. And yet Wolves, winless in seven, a fine season in danger of ending with a whimper, deservedly took the three  points.

The home fans were not blaming their manager for that recent slump. Instead, VAR had its name taken in vain throughout, even in the immediate aftermath of Wolves goals. Forest are not alone in having problems with Stockley Park and without the assistance of officialdom Wolves found a second gear beyond Luton’s capability. They gave a performance to deny any accusations of being on the beach. “They have been motivated in every game,” Gary O’Neil said of his players.

He can call on talent fit for the Premier League, whose chief executive, Richard Masters, was taking in the icy afternoon’s entertainment. João Gomes – “excellent” according to O’Neil – took on playmaking duties, Hwang buzzing across the front with Matheus Cunha in support.

“It was massive to be able to name those two in the team for the first time since December,” said their manager of Hwang and Cunha. “It’s been a tough spell for the lads, they have had to find a way.”

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If O’Neil, frantically prowling his area, was unsatisfied with his team missing a first-half flurry of chances, it was Edwards, against the club he played 100 Championship games for and also coached, who was left cursing when Hwang idled through to score the opener. Reece Burke had lost a physical battle with Cunha, who won the second ball to play the ball onwards. Though Teden Mengi got a touch to the shot, two of his colleagues had been guilty of ball-watching.

The contrast in reactions at Wolves’ second told a story. Toti, denied moments earlier by some adept Jordan Clark defending, was allowed space to dive-head past Thomas Kaminski. Mario Lemina’s cross, spinning and high, ought to have been cleared.

Where Edwards looked destitute, lamenting “a loopy cross comes in and we should defend it better”, O’Neil and his assistants celebrated with their players. High-fives all round, a training-ground routine had come off.

Wolves might have piled on more Luton agony when more chances fell their way, “Could we be more ruthless?” asked O’Neil. “We didn’t go under,” said Edwards, reaching for positives. “We showed character and spirit.”

Elijah Adebayo, the striker missing for two months, a huge loss to Luton’s attacking options, came on for an exhausted Ross Barkley and was a bright light during those moments when it seemed they might just pull off the type of escape that was their trademark earlier in the season. “What I saw is a team that are committed and tried to do the right things,” said Edwards. “We’ve said the same all season. I’ve seen enough to think we can cause the remaining teams problems.”

Morris headed in after Alfie Doughty chased down a lost cause in the corner, Cauley Woodrow lashed a volley wide but Wolves, their easy afternoon briefly becoming problematic, successfully played out time. For Luton, time and opportunities for salvation are in ever shorter supply.