Dismal Town lost 1-0 to Wolves despite facing 10-men for 54 minutes and being awarded a first half penalty, which was missed by Matt Richards. The Blues rarely looked like equalising Jay Bothroyd's goal, although Dean Bowditch had a goal harshly disallowed for offside.

Jim Magilton made two changes from Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace, Sito coming in for Fabian Wilnis at right-back and Matt Richards replacing Darren Currie on the left wing. Wolves lined-up with ex-Blue Jamie Clapham at left midfield.

Richards went close to opening the scoring in the second minute, the one-time England U21 international curling a freekick just over the bar after Nicky Forster had been fouled on the edge of the area.

Wolves went straight up the other end, Jay Bothroyd latching on to a long ball but Shane Supple was equal to his shot.

Bothroyd was proving the most dangerous of the strikers in the early stages and in the 13th minute the former Charlton man hit a shot which was deflected wide.

A minute later, Alex Bruce picked up his second Town booking in his second Town game, for a foul on Bothroyd.

Gavin Williams sent in a freekick from deep in the 19th minute which went through a crowd of players inside the Wolves box but no one could add the vital touch.

On 24 Jason De Vos gave the ball to Carl Cort on the Wolves right. The former Wimbledon man laid it back to Rohan Ricketts just inside the area but the midfielder blasted well over. Two minutes later, Jamie Clapham found himself in space on the edge of the Town box but shot weakly to Supple.

But a Wolves goal wasn't long in coming. In the 27th minute new signing Dan Harding sold Matt Richards short with a pass on halfway, Ricketts brought the ball forward and fed Bothroyd who, in space just outside the box, lashed a powerful low strike beyond Supple.

The home side probably deserved to be ahead with the Blues enjoying spells of possession but creating little in the way of chances.

In the 36th minute came the incident which ought to have changed the game. Gavin Williams and Carl Cort challenged for the ball on the halfway line, the ball getting trapped between them and the Town man appearing to inadvertently catch the Wolves striker high on his leg. Cort reacted angrily twice striking the Welshman in the face right in front of referee Trevor Kettle, who immediately brandished his red card.

The Blues started to look a bit more threatening in the final minutes of the half, Williams forcing keeper Matt Murray into a rare save with a 25 yarder. For the home side, Bothroyd once again got away from the Town defence, Naylor getting back to force him inside and the striker's shot failed to trouble Supple.

Right on half-time Town were awarded a penalty. Nicky Forster took the ball from Jody Craddock as the ex-Cambridge United man tried to see it out for a goalkick, the Wolves defender clumsily tripping the Town striker as he did so. Referee Kettle was left in little doubt that it was a penalty kick.

Matt Richards was charged with taking the kick and from a short run-up sent it to Murray's right, the keeper guessing correctly and pushing the ball away. Richards's effort was probably too close to Murray, although Town might have had a legitimate shout for a second penalty with Forster looking to be fouled as he went after the rebound.

In injury time Forster went close from Sito's right wing cross, the striker's deflected effort falling kindly for Murray.

A half not lacking in action but one in which the Blues had rarely threatened until the closing stages, Cort's much deserved red card and the penalty. However, with the man advantage for the whole of the second period, the single goal deficit ought not to have been too tricky to overturn.

Town's first serious effort of the second half in the 53rd minute momentarily appeared to have restored parity. Gavin Williams brought the ball forward before unleashing a shot which deflected wide of Murray and off the post, Dean Bowditch tapping in the rebound. Bowditch started to celebrate his first Town goal in nearly two years, only for the linesman to flag what seemed to be a very unlikely offside.

Alan Lee immediately replaced the luckless Bowditch, a move which had been planned before the disallowed goal.

The Blues unsurprisingly enjoyed most of the possession with Wolves happy to sit back on their lead but Town were failing to create anything inside the penalty area, the ball either being easily surrendered in the middle of the pitch or crossed into Murray's arms.

Darren Currie replaced Richards just after the hour, Jaime Peters trying his luck on the left wing with Currie on the right.

Forster shot over as Town continued to struggle to create anything of note, before Currie picked up a yellow card for a frustrated looking tackle.

Alan Lee had a shot deflected over the bar, referee Kettle awarding a goalkick, but the Blues were making very heavy weather of playing against the 10 men, often ponderously passing the ball across the middle of the field but with little movement inside the area and a lack of inspiration or quality crosses.

With five minutes remaining Sam Parkin replaced Peters but the Blues could manage little more than a Sito shot over the bar, a succession of Currie crosses into the hands of Murray and a Williams yellow card in the closing stages.

A thoroughly dispiriting performance from the Blues after the promising display in defeat against Crystal Palace at the weekend. Despite playing against 10 men for the vast majority of the match, Town never looked like they were going to turn the game around and it would have been little surprise had Wolves sneaked a second goal on the break.

The ruling out of Bowditch's goal seemed cruel and an equaliser at that stage might have provided the impetus for the Blues to go on to win the game, however, as it was Wolves keeper Matt Murray and his defence can rarely have enjoyed an easier evening.

Town: Supple, Sito, Harding, Naylor, De Vos, Williams, Bruce, Richards (Currie 62), Peters (Parkin 85), Forster, Bowditch (Lee 53). Unused: Price, Wilnis. Att:19,199.

Photo: Action Images

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