Town can blame woeful defending and poor first half finishing after losing 4-2 at home to Wolves. Marcus Bent put Town ahead early on before Kenny Miller equalised. Matt Holland scored from a freekick but second half goals from Miller again, Lee Naylor and George Ndah took the points.

The Blues lined up as expected with Marcus Bent and John McGreal returning. Bent played a lone role up front with Darrens Bent and Ambrose playing as against Sheffield United, wide on either flank between the midfield and the attack. McGreal played alongside Thomas Gaardsøe at the centre of a four-man defence with Chris Makin on the left and Fabian Wilnis on the right. Jim Magilton, Tommy Miller and skipper Matt Holland made up the central midfield three.

Marcus Bent quickly put Town in the lead, heading Matt Murray's poor punch back into the Wolves net. It was just the start Town needed and one which should have been the stepping stone for a seventh consecutive home win.

George Ndah made Wolves' first attempt at an equaliser in the sixth minute but he turned Dennis Irwin's freekick from the right well wide of Andy Marshall's goal.

However, a goal for the Midlanders was not far off. Four minutes later Colin Cameron hit a well-struck 25-yard shot to Andy Marshall's right. The keeper stopped the ball but failed to keep hold and it ran out to Kenny Miller just outside the six-yard box. Despite a valiant attempt to get the ball away by Thomas Gaardsøe, the ex-Rangers man netted.

On 18 Marcus Bent played an excellent ball into Darren Bent on the right of the Wolves area. The younger Bent was forced to check inside and laid the ball inside to Tommy Miller who hit a shot wide when he at least should have hit the target.

Five minutes later the Blues had another good chance. Matt Holland found Fabian Wilnis on the right with a fine long pass. The Dutchman appeared to mishit his cross to the far post where Marcus Bent did well to head it back across goal to the far post where Darren Bent headed wide.

Chances were hardly numerous with the game often an untidy midfield battle, but on 35 Jim Magilton sent in a cross from the right but behind Marcus Bent. The striker tried in vain to get a shot in, colliding with Paul Butler in the process, both players needing treatment but carrying on.

With three minutes left before the break Magilton sent in another cross which Murray flapped at, Marcus Bent knocking the ball back into the box where Darren Ambrose hit a shot wide with the keeper nowhere. It was Town's best chance of adding a second goal up to then.

Wolves had threatened Andy Marshall's goal very little but there was a scare for the Blues in the 44th minute when John McGreal hit a wayward backpass almost into the path of Kenny Miller. Fortunately for the ex-Tranmere man Thomas Gaardsøe was quickly across with an excellent saving challenge.

With little left of the first period referee Steve Bennett angered Town supporters when he called back play for a freekick for a foul on Marcus Bent with Darren Bent well placed with the ball inside the area.

However, Blues fans were thankful for Bennett's decision as Matt Holland, making his 300th Town appearance, hit an unstoppable kick which moved a great deal in the air, giving Murray no chance.

No changes for Town at the break but Butler, injured in the earlier collision with Marcus Bent, was replaced with Marc Edworthy.

Three minutes into the new half Darren Bent ran on to an excellent Fabian Wilnis ball and crossed low to Darren Ambrose who hit a first time shot over the bar.

On 52 there were calls for a Town penalty when a Jim Magilton cross from the left clearly struck Paul Ince on the hand. However, Mr Bennett was unimpressed with the claims.

As in the first half chances were few and far between, but in the 63rd minute Thomas Gaardsøe gave the ball away and Mark Kennedy got away down the left before sending in a low ball to Kenny Miller, who had lost the ball-watching John McGreal, the Scotsman finishing with little trouble.

Darren Ambrose, up against Dennis Irwin on the Town left, had had a quiet game and on 69 Joe Royle decided to make a change, switching him for Pablo Couñago in a straight swap.

Four minutes later Wolves went into the lead for the first time as a corner from the right was headed to the edge of the area by Fabian Wilnis. The ball dropped perfectly to Lee Naylor who volleyed home giving Marshall no chance. It was almost a carbon copy of Michael Brown's second goal for Sheffield United at Bramall Lane a few weeks back.

By now Wolves were much the better side with the Blues failing to create anything like a clear-cut chance and with passes going astray all over the pitch with McGreal especially guilty on several occasions.

With ten minutes left on the clock George Ndah made Town's evening even worse as he escaped Town's less than perfect offside trap before expertly rounding Marshall, left helpless by his defence, before tucking the ball into the empty net.

With little left to lose Joe Royle threw on Martijn Reuser for Chris Makin and the Dutchman had a busy ten minutes, hitting one stinging shot which Murray only just got across to. The former Ajax man sent the resulting corner across the six-yard box but no Town player could get a touch.

With time running out for the Blues, Thomas Gaardsøe put in another important challenge after the out-of-sorts McGreal had been caught out by Ndah.

A poor display but Town, particularly at the back in the second half. Andy Marshall will feel unhappy at the way he failed to keep hold of the ball in the lead-up to the first goal but he could have done little about any of the others, with goals two and four the result of poor defending and the third all but unstoppable.

For a game with six goals there were surprisingly few chances, although Town ought to have netted more than two goals in the first half with a number of players missing opportunities. Conversely, it is difficult to think of any serious Wolves chances other than their four goals.

An opportunity to enter the top six spurned and the excellent home record well and truly kicked into touch. With Norwich up the week after next it is important that Town bounce back to form when bogey side Grimsby visit on Saturday.

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