Live Commentary: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers - as it happened

Wolverhampton Wanderers hosted Blackburn Rovers this afternoon in Dean Saunders's first match in charge of the club.

Blackburn had also confirmed Michael Appleton as their new manager shortly before kickoff, although caretaker boss Gary Bowyer took charge of tonight's match.

A first-half penalty gave Blackburn a one-goal lead before Roger Johnson's header ensured a share of the spoils for the hosts.

You can read how it all unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute by coverage below.

9.47pmRight, that's it from me tonight! Thanks for joining Sports Mole for a scrappy affair, and I leave you with Jack Prescott's match report. Be sure to stick around for match analysis, which will be on the site within half an hour. Good night!

9.45pmI also think this may be one of the first times I have got my match predicition right! Satisfactory result all round, then.

9.44pmBlackburn, meanwhile, won't be happy with squandering a one-goal lead, but given a draw away to Wolves before the match, they probably would've taken it. It also extends their unbeaten run to four matches ahead of Michael Appleton's arrival at the club.

9.43pmFor Wolves, they end their four-match losing streak and pick up a point from a losing position, as well as getting their first point of the Dean Saunders era.

9.41pmThere you have it! Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but neither side will be too disappointed by that result.

90+5 minFULL TIME: Wolves 1-1 Blackburn

90+4 minIf anyone is pushing for the winner it seems to be Wolves, but even they look like they would settle for a draw here.

90+2 minEnd-to-end stuff now as Morris sees his shot blocked before Sako races down the other and fails to produce a dangerous cross. You get the feeling that this match is there for the taking!

90 minThere will be five minutes of added time! Plenty of time for either side to nick a winner!

88 minOlsson goes to ground and fouls his man, resulting in a free kick in a good position, but the referee, this time, opts not to show a yellow that would have seen Olsson given his marching orders. The home fans aren't happy about it, and become even more disgruntled when the ball goes straight into the arms of Kean.

87 minYELLOW CARD! This match has had an edge all night and that continues as Doyle puts a late tackle in on Kean, who reacts angrily. Doyle is shown a yellow for the tackle.

86 minSaunders screams at his players to "switch on" as they defend a free kick. It would be a real sucker punch if they threw this one away now!

84 minSuddenly Wolves' balls forward and finding their men. Ward sends a perfectly weighted one over to Sako, who flashes a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Doyle picks it up at the back post, but his touch lets him down and the chance goes begging.

82 minYELLOW CARDS! Pedersen and O'Hara have an angry exchange of words, with O'Hara grabbing Pedersen's shirt and getting right up in his face. They both get a yellow card for their troubles.

81 minSUB: Hanley comes off for Givet.

80 minWolves finally have a spring in their step! Peszko races away on the break before trying to feed Doyle, but his pass is just too heavy.

78 minSUBS: The last sub paid immediate dividends, and here comes another as Ebanks-Blake comes on for Cassidy. Positive change from Saunders! Blackburn also make a change as Morris comes on for Rochina.

76 minPedersen has a good chance to whip a ball into the box and put Wolves straight back under pressure, but his usually trusty left foot lets him down this time and he drags it out for a goal kick.

74 minWhat an impact from Jamie O'Hara! The sub gets the ball a matter of seconds after coming on and pumps a long ball into the box. Johnson steals in at the back post and nods it past Kean in the Blackburn goal! Suddenly the Wolves fans can be heard once more!

73 minGOAL! Wolves 1-1 Blackburn (Roger Johnson)

73 minSUB: Not the attacking sub I was anticipating as O'Hara comes on for Davis.

72 minHalf chance for Wolves as Henry picks up Sako's cross at the back post, pumping it back into the mixer towards Doyle. The striker rises highest but his header lacks any sort of power and is easy for Kean to gather.

71 minKane ventures forward and attacks the inside channel, cutting in to find space to shoot on his left, but his effort skews a long, long way wide.

70 minThere is a case in point: Cassidy is forced to chase a lost cause after a nothing ball over the top from Ward. Most of their forward passes have been pretty aimless today.

68 minTo be fair to the attacking duo, however, they haven't been given much to work with by those behind them!

66 minSUB: The first change for Wolves sees Peszko replace Zubar. I wouldn't be surprised to see a more attacking change soon, Doyle and Cassidy have been toothless up front today.

65 minYELLOW CARD! Davis is the fifth man in the referee's notebook for a seemingly innocuous challenge on Kazim-Richards.

64 minThey look to be doing exactly that. Sako whips a ball in towards the far post which Zubar rises to nod down, but no-one is there to take advantage!

64 minWolves need to get the ball to Sako whenever possible now. He looks like the one most capable of creating a chance for the equaliser, and down the left is where they have had the most joy tonight.

62 minYELLOW CARD! Before that Sako run, Olsson embarked on one of his own and felt he was fouled. The ref waved it away and Olsson is booked for his continued protests.

61 minSako advances forward again and stays on his feet despite Pedersen nipping at his heels. He feeds it on and eventually Wolves win another corner, which is again cleared by the first man.

58 minCHANCE! Sako puts a good delivery to Johnson at the back post. The defender rises highest to try and loop the ball over Kean and into the far corner, but just puts too much on it as it falls onto the roof of the net. Not a bad effort from Johnson, and Wolves are getting closer.

57 minSako races clear past two Blackburn players but the space to shoot is on his right foot, so he opts for the pass instead. Wolves lose their momentum, but gain a free kick in a good crossing position. Sako is standing over it...

56 minSUB: The first change of the day sees Vukcevic replaced by Pedersen for Blackburn.

55 minWolves are really adding up the corner count today, which seems to be their most likely way to score as they haven't threatened in open play. Their latest is cleared away comfortably, though.

53 minOFF THE LINE! That's the closest Wolves have come to scoring today! From the resulting corner, Sako whips a cross in that evades Kean and almost goes all the way in, only for Murphy to head it off the line. He didn't mean it, but that would've been some goal from Sako!

53 minCassidy tries to get a strike away but a Blackburn defender is quickly up to block his effort.

51 minHe concedes another free kick, this time in a better position for Blackburn, but Rhodes heads the ball over the crossbar.

50 minSako looks like he is the only won fighting for the Wolves cause at the moment, but in his haste to win the ball back he concedes a free kick.

47 minSHOT! Rochina advances down the middle unchallenged and fires in a low shot towards goal which Ikeme gets down low to save. He shouldn't have been allowed to travel that far without a tackle coming in!

45 minHere we go! Can Wolves salvage anything from this one?

8.50pmRight, the teams are out for the second half, we're about to get back underway!

8.48pmWolves have edged the shot count, having six to Blackburn's four, but we've only really had two good goalscoring chances so far today, and both have fallen to the visitors and, more specifically, Jordan Rhodes.

8.46pmIn the opposite dugout, Bowyer is on the verge of leaving his short time in charge of Blackburn with a 100% record! He has done very well while in temporary charge of the club.

8.44pmSaunders won his first game in charge of both his former clubs, but Wolves have not won a match in which they conceded first this season. Something has got to give!

8.42pmThe visitors silenced the crowd as the half wore on too. The optimism that surrounded Dean Saunders's arrival seems to have evaporated in the space of 45 minutes here!

8.40pmBlackburn, on the other hand, have grown into the match as it's gone on. The goal came at a perfect time for them as they began to get into the game.

8.38pmWolves began the match as the better side without creating a good chance to take the lead. They were punished for this after the linesman awarded Blackburn a penalty, and the hosts have only had one half-chance since going behind. Saunders will have to have strong words with his side to motivate them. He asked for determination before the match, but he hasn't really got it so far. Wolves have been lacklustre to say the least.

8.36pmA murmur of discontent ripples around the ground to greet the half-time whistle. Their side have not played well in that first half, expecially since Blackburn took the lead.

45+2 minHALF TIME: Wolves 0-1 Blackburn

45+1 min...is put straight into the wall by Rochina.

45 minYELLOW CARD! They'll have to withstand this free kick first. Kane races away and is brought down from behind by Henry, who picks up his sixth yellow of the season. Free kick in a very good position...

45 minThere will be two minutes of added time here. Can Wolves get something on the board to change Saunders's first half-time team talk?

43 minMore good build-up play between Ward and Sako sees the former slice his cross out of play, but that looks like Wolves' most likely avenue of attack at the moment.

40 minCHANCE! That's more like it from Wolves! Sako feeds a marauding Ward down the left, and his powerful cross is tipped clear by Kean, but only as far as Davis. His initial effort sees him miss the ball, before he snaps at the second chance and puts it over. That was a decent chance if Davis had a bit more composure.

39 minSHOT! Another shot for the visitors who have improved a lot since the goal. This time it is Kazim-Richards who shoots, but his effort is dragged a long way wide.

38 minSHOT! Rochina is looking like Blackburn's most dangerous player at the moment, and he tests Ikeme again with a fierce drive that the Wolves keeper does well to hold.

37 minA training ground routine from the free kick sees Henry pass to Sako on the edge of the box. He tries to clip it in to anyone who may be rushing in in front of the keeper, but no-one is there and it runs harmlessly through to Kean.

36 minYELLOW CARD! Davis spins away from Murphy and as he tries to escape Murphy lunges in from behind and brings the midfielder down. The ref is on hand to show him a yellow card, and Wolves have a central free kick about 35 yards out.

34 minRochina again dances his way into the box, producing stepover after stepover, and Wolves look scared to go near him now! He tries to dig out a cross, but it is cleared away.

32 minIn fact, it is Wolves who are now having trouble keeping the ball for extended periods of time.

31 minThe match has returned to how it was before that goal, with the sole exception that Blackburn are now looking a little more comfortable when they have the ball.

29 minWolves will feel hard done by by going behind. The penalty may have been a bit soft, but it was no surprise that it was given. There was contact on the trailing leg and, when that happens, the player will more often than not go down. The hosts had been on top before that goal!

27 minWolves want a penalty of their own! Hanley fells Doyle in the area, but comes away with the ball. The referee, correctly, shakes his head at the appeals which, to be fair, are mainly coming from the stands.

25 minThe Dean Saunders era has not got off to a great start! Rochina jinks his way past a number of Wolves defenders and leaves his leg out to trip over Sako, who swung his leg at the tackle. The ref waves it away, but the linesman has other ideas and gives the spot kick! Rhodes steps up and puts an inch-perfect penalty just past the despairing dive of Ikeme.

24 minGOAL! Wolves 0-1 Blackburn (Jordan Rhodes)

24 minPENALTY TO BLACKBURN!

23 minMurphy sends a free kick in towards the box, but Ikeme is out quickly to claim the ball for himself. Good goalkeeping, defenders love it when the keeper does that!

21 minKazim-Richards does not look happy tonight. He goes in for another tackle and concedes another free kick, before exchanging more words with the opposition. The ref calls him over and tells him to calm down. He'd be wise to take notice of that advice!

19 minCHANCE! Great save from Kean there! Sako raced down the left and sent another cross in. This time Foley gets in front of his man at the near post and pokes it goalwards, only for Kean to pull off a fine, instinctive save.

17 minCHANCE! That is a real chance by Rhodes's standards. He beats the offside trap and gets to the ball before Ikeme. Instead of taking it round the keeper, however, he tries to poke it past him. Ikeme gets enough on it to slow the ball down, allowing the defence to get back to clear.

17 minRovers' first foray into the opposition box result in Rhodes going for goal with a tough header, but it lacks power and just loops into the arms of Ikeme.

16 minHalf chance for Wolves! A reverse pass to Cassidy results in a cross that is cleared against Doyle and out towards Davis, whose shot goes high over the bar. Shaky defending from Blackburn who haven't made a great start to this one!

14 minThey haven't been able to make the most of a few attacking platforms yet, however. Sako wastes consecutive corners by failing to get past the first man, so plays the next one short, but that also comes to nothing.

12 minWard and Sako link up well on the left, resulting in the latter putting a ball into the box to Cassidy, who controls it and tries to send a bicycle kick towards goal, but it is easily cleared. Wolves have probably just about edged the opening quarter of an hour or so.

10 minSako is penalised for a foul that looked like a healthy battle for the ball. The ref has been pretty strict so far today, giving a couple of soft free kicks already.

8 minYELLOW CARD! Kazim-Richards becomes the first name in the referee's notebook for a foul on Karl Henry. The two exchange words before Dean Whitestone flashes the card.

7 minCLOSE! A Blackburn player, I think it's Rhodes, messes about with the ball in his own area and loses it. The cross comes in to Roger Johnson, who tries an acrobatic volley which goes just wide. Blackburn almost shot themselves in the foot there!

6 min...the initial cross is headed away, but Wolves recycle it and Cassidy eventually picks the ball up inside the area. His shot is blocked, however, and goes out for a corner.

5 minWolves have a great chance to whip the ball in from the right flank here after Doyle was brought down...

3 minZubar almost gets Saunder's reign off to a shocking start by slipping over on the way back towards goal under pressure from Rochina. The ref blows for a free kick, pretty soft one though!

2 minThe first Karl Henry foul of the new regime. You can be certain that it won't be the last! Nothing comes of the free kick, though, and Wolves are back in possession.

0 minSome early cause for optimism for Wolves and Hanley concedes a corner in the first minute, but the delivery whips across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

0 minAnd we're off, amidst chants of "Deano, Deano" from the home fans. They've taken a liking to their new boss already!

7.46pmRight, it'll be Blackburn to get us underway here at the Molineux...

7.45pmJordan Rhodes has scored 62 goals in his last 71 games for club and country, Wolves will need to keep him under wraps tonight!

7.44pmThe teams are coming out onto the field, and Saunders is all smiles ahead of his debut as manager. I wonder whether that smile will still be on his face at the end of the 90 minutes.

7.42pmTemporary Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer, ahead of his last match in charge of the club insists that it has been business as usual ahead of kickoff tonight and that Appleton has had no input in the team selection, although the new boss did give him a call to wish him well.

7.40pmTaking one player as an example, Ronald Zubar was frozen out under Solbakken but starts tonight. A big chance for him to stake a claim for a regular starting spot again!

7.38pmDespite Appleton not being in the Blackburn dugout tonight, the players will be keen to impress their new boss. As, of course, will the Wolves players with their new manager. We have a very interesting match ahead of us!

7.37pmWolves boss Dean Saunders: "All I want and all the fans want is for the players to show some determination and by hook or by crook hopefully we'll get the points."

7.35pmRight, we're 10 minutes from kickoff, which means only one thing: time for my prediction! This one is a tough call considering the changed situations of both clubs recently, and I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw! I'm sitting on the fence!

7.32pmThese two sides have already met once this season, although it probably seems like a lifetime ago for both clubs! On that occasions back in October, Wolves came away from Ewood Park with a 1-0 victory. No doubt Dean Saunders would take a repeat result tongiht!

7.31pmSUBS: Usai, Morris, Goodwillie, Gomes, Pedersen, Rosado, Givet

7.30pmBLACKBURN: Kean; Olsson, Lowe, Hanley, Dann; Murphy, Kane, Rochina, Vukcevic; Rhodes, Kazim-Richards

7.28pmBlackburn also make a couple of changes as Kane and Vukcevic come in for Henley and Diogo Rosado.

7.27pmSUBS: De Vries, Batth, Stearman, Oâ€™Hara, Peszko, Forde, Ebanks-Blake

7.26pmWOLVES: Ikeme; Zubar, Johnson, Berra, Ward; Foley, Henry, Davis, Sako; Doyle, Cassidy

7.24pmSaunders has made three changes from the side that lost to non-league Luton in the FA Cup, notably dropping Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to the bench in favour of Jake Cassidy.

7.22pmRight, it's about time for some team news I think...

7.20pmSo who will crown their new era with a win tonight? Either way it would significantly improve the look of the league table for whoever (if anyone) manages it. Not only would Blackburn move within two places of the playoffs, but Wolves would move three places up to 15th.

7.18pmBlackburn, meanwhile, have improved since Berg's departure from the club, winning their last three games in all competitions, but this comes off the back of a run of just one win in 10. They sit 13th in the table, but could move as high as eighth with a win tonight.

7.16pmWell, in short, not well at all. Wolves have lost four games in a row in all competitions and have picked up just three wins from their last 16 league games, leaving the pre-season promotion candidates 18th in the Championship table.

7.14pmRight, enough with off-field actions, let's see how these two sides have been doing on the pitch since their relegation from the Premier League last season.

7.12pmWhich only serves to make this tie even more intriguing. Often teams can be galvanised by a new manager being appointed, but sometimes they take a while to spark. Will we see either of these elements tonight?

7.11pmSo, in conclusion to this managerial merry-go-round, we will see both Dean Saunders and Michael Appleton in charge of these clubs for the first time tonight.

7.09pmSpeaking of short stays at clubs, what about Michael Appleton! The former Portsmouth boss joined Blackpool in November, and already finds himself at a new club having been appointed today.

7.07pmIf Solbakken feels like he hasn't had a fair crack at the whip, however, try being in Henning Berg's shoes! The former Blackburn player had less than two months in charge at Ewood Park before being unceremoniously sacked - a decision all the more surprising considering how long the board stuck with Steve Kean.

7.05pmHowever, the recent events have showcased the cutthroat nature of football nowadays! Wolves got rid of Stale Solbakken after just six months in the job. The Norwegian manager had underperformed following Wolves' relegation from the Premier League, with an FA Cup defeat to non-league Luton acting as the final straw for the Wolves boss.

7.03pmThese two clubs have made more headlines off the field than on it in the last few weeks, but the managerial saga both clubs found themselves in has surely been put to bed today by Blackburn announcing the appointment of Michael Appleton as boss.

7.01pmGood evening! Welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of an intriguing Championship match between Wolves and Blackburn!