Live Commentary: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Birmingham City - as it happened

Wolverhampton Wanderers hosted Midlands rivals Birmingham City at Molineux earlier this evening.

Both sides had made disappointing starts to the Championship campaign and knew that they would remain in the bottom half of the table regardless of the game's result.

Wolves went into the match on the back of a morale-boosting 4-1 victory at Bristol City last week, which ended their nine-game winless run.

Meanwhile, Birmingham had won just once in their last six away fixtures.

Find out how the action unfolded below with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text coverage.

7.22pmThanks for joining Sports Mole for today's match. See you again soon.

7.21pmBirmingham dominated possession in the first half. However, Wolves kept the ball much better in the second period and the final possession stats show that Solbakken's side had 51% over the 90 minutes.

7.18mThe hosts recorded 12 shots in the seconds half - eight more than Birmingham.

7.16pmWolves win at home for the first time since September and climb to 16th in the Championship table.

7.14pmFull time: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Birmingham City

90+3minBurke's corner finds the head of Davies, who heads over from six yards. That should be all she wrote!

90+3minBurke's cross deflects off Ward and goes behind for a corner to Birmingham. Forward comes the goalkeeper Butland!

90minThe fourth official's board shows three added minutes.

88minDoyle brilliantly controls a long ball on his chest, before turning and playing in Sigurdarson. The Iceland international looks to be clean through, before Caldwell gets back just in time to deny him an effort at goal.

86minYellow card! Mullins is booked for a late challenge on Doyle. The defender will now be suspended for next weekend's match against Crystal Palace.

84minSubstitution for Wolves: Pennant replaces Ebanks-Blake.

82minWolves were a little fortunate to be leading at half time, however they have been much the better side after the break.

81minFinal substitution for Birmingham: Burke replaces Hall.

79minWolves win a corner on the left, but Sako's fizzing delivery is headed to safety.

75minSubstitution for Wolves: Davis replaces Doumbia.

75minWolves have gone 10 games without keeping a clean sheet, but they are just 15 minutes away from ending that run.

74minLovenkrands is immediately into the action as he turns away from Johnson inside the Wolves penalty area. Johnson recovers well and executes a fantastic last-ditch tackle keep his side ahead.

72minSubstitution for Birmingham: Lovenkrands replaces Redmond.

70minChance for Wolves! The hosts win a corner on the left. Sako swings it in to the near post, where Sigurdarson flicks at goal with a diving header. Butland does very well to parry clear.

66minChance for Wolves! After a brief goalmouth scramble, the ball falls to Doyle eight yards out. The Irishman loses his balance at the crucial moment and drags his left-foot effort just wide.

60minWolves hit the woodwork again! Sako's corner deflects off Davies's bum and strikes the corner of the crossbar. Very nearly another own goal!

60minWolves go close! Ward miskicks his cross and almost gets lucky, but Butland claws the ball behind for a corner.

57minSako speeds forward again. This time he jinks inside and shoots himself, but his powerful effort crashes over the bar.

57minChance for Wolves! Sako fires in a low cross from the left to Ebanks-Blake, whose shot from six yards is blocked by Caldwell and hacked clear by Davies.

54minGreat run from Doyle. He beats two players before shooting just wide from 25 yards. Wolves have started the second half very well.

52minFirst contribution from Morrison. The on-loan West Ham youngster jinks in from the left and shoots straight at Ikeme from the edge of the penalty area.

48minWolves go close! Caddis concedes a cheap corner, which Sako whips in from the left. Doyle flicks on at the near post to Berra, who volleys over the bar from close range.

46minAwful mistake from Davies. The former West Brom defender attempts to nod the ball back to his goalkeeper, but Sigurdarson, who is standing just behind him, collects possession and jogs through on goal. The visitors then breath a huge sigh of relief as the flag is raised for offside.

46minBirmingham kick off and the second half begins.

6.24pmSubstitution for Birmingham: Morrison replaces Spector.

6.21pmAll four of the game's corner kicks have been taken by the away side.

6.20pmWolves have committed eight fouls - two more than Birmingham.

6.19pmBirmingham have edged possession so far with 56%.

6.18pmWolves lead at the break, despite failing to record a single shot on target. The home side have registered two attempts at goal, while Birmingham have made six attempts, three of which have been on target.

6.11pmClick here to read Barney Corkhill's half-time report

6.10pmHalf time: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Birmingham City

43minYellow card! From the corner, Doumbia wins the ball in his own penalty area and launches a counter-attack. The Mali international finds Sako, who is hauled down by Robinson. The former Bolton Wanderers full-back has now been booked four times this season.

42minKing's low effort deflects off the wall and goes behind for a corner.

42minYellow card! Johnson and Henry both go sliding in on Elliott. Johnson is nowhere near the ball and is rightly booked. Free kick to the Blues, 20 yards out.

40minBirmingham's attacking play seems to be lacking intelligence at present. The Blues keep pumping long balls forward, which Berra and Johnson are having no problem heading clear.

36minKing is tripped by Berra 25 yards from the Wolves goal. Hall takes the resultant free kick, shooting just wide.

1-0Wolves win a free kick on the right edge of the area, close to the byline. Sako fires the ball in low and hard. King raises his right knee, the ball hits it and deflects into the goal at the near post.

33minGOAL FOR WOLVES - Marlon King own goal - Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Birmingham City

32minGoal disallowed! Doyle puts the ball in the net for Wolves, but it will not count. The Irishman was just offside when Sigurdarson flicked the ball into his path.

30minPenalty shout! Doyle flicks on and finds Ebanks-Blake, who turns Davies before going to ground. Referee Anthony Taylor waves away the Wolves appeals. Correct decision.

28minThere have been just four goals scored in the last four meetings between these two sides. I don't think that it would be much of a surprise if this game was to finish 1-0.

25minCaptain Henry leads by example and heads clear at the far post.

24minCaddis comes forward again. This time he slides the ball into the path of Hall, who fires it against Berra for another Birmingham corner.

20minFrom the corner, King tees up Davies, who slams high and wide from the edge of the area.

20minThe delivery is dangerous, but Johnson does well to flick the ball behind for a corner.

19minHenry brings down Redmond. Birmingham have a free kick 30 yards out.

18minBirmingham have not scored a goal in the first 15 minutes of a match all season.

16minWolves hit the woodwork! Sako charges at the Birmingham defence down the left. He then pulls the ball back from the byline to Sigurdarson, whose side-footed effort clips off the outside of the post on its way wide.

13minDoyle plays a lofted through-ball into the path of Ebanks-Blake, who is just about to shoot from 10 yards until Davies denies him with a perfectly-time sliding tackle.

10minThe visitors are enjoying a lot of the ball at the moment and, as a result, the home crowd have settled down somewhat.

8minBirmingham go close! Sako takes a heavy touch in his own half and possession is gathered by Caddis. The Scottish full-back fires at goal from 25 yards and is denied by a fingertip save from Ikeme. Wolves clear the loose ball.

5minIt looks as though this match is going to be a very physical battle. Judging by the way that they have started the game, I can see Sigurdarson and Doyle getting quite a bit of joy out of the Birmingham defence.

4minBirmingham winger Elliot earns the game's first corner, but it is poorly delivered by the Irishman and Wolves clear.

2minRoared on by a lively home crowd, the hosts come forward straight away. Ebanks-Blake finds space down the right, but his cross is poor and is easily gathered by goalkeeper Butland.

1minWolves get the game underway.

5.20pmI'm predicting a narrow and scrappy win for Wolves. Let's find out if I am right - kickoff is moments away.

5.19pmWolves boss Stale Solbakken keeps the faith in the 4-3-3 formation that proved so successful at Ashton Gate last week. Meanwhile, Birmingham are forced into making changes after Nikola Zigic and Pablo Ibanez failed late fitness tests.

5.16pmBirmingham subs: Colin Doyle, Will Packwood, Mitch Hancox, Chris Burke, Ravel Morrison, Papa Bouba Diop, Peter Lovenkrands

5.15pmWolves subs: Dorus De Vries, Richard Stearman, Danny Batth, Jermaine Pennant, David Davis, Anthony Forde, Frank Nouble

5.14pmBirmingham starting XI:Jack Butland; Steven Caldwell, Curtis Davies, Jonathan Spector, Paul Caddis, Paul Robinson; Hayden Mullins, Wade Elliott, Nathan Redmond; Marlon King, Robert Hall

5.13pmWolves starting XI: Carl Ikeme; Stephen Ward, Roger Johnson, Christophe Berra, Kevin Foley; Karl Henry, Bakary Sako; Tongo Hamed Doumbia; Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Bjorn Sigurdarson, Kevin Doyle

Live Commentary: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Birmingham City - as it happened

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Teams mentioned in this article :

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Birmingham City