Wolves snapped a six-game winless streak in the Premier League and increased the relegation worries for Luton with a win at Molineux.
Hwang Hee-chan broke the deadlock late in the first half with his first goal for the club since December 27, benefiting from a deflection off defender Teden Mengi. This came just 18 seconds after Carlton Morris missed Luton’s best chance of the first half by heading directly at goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Wolves came out strong after the interval, and it took only five minutes for Toti Gomes to extend their lead with a header at the far post.
Gary O’Neil’s team controlled the second half, with Boubacar Traore, Nelson Semedo, and Rayan Ait-Nouri missing opportunities to extend their lead.
Morris’s volley from six yards out late in the game ignited hopes of a dramatic comeback for Luton, but no further goals materialized.
The victory lifted Wolves to 10th place, just three points behind eighth-placed West Ham, while Luton remained in 18th place, a point and a significant goal difference away from 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Wolves back to winning ways
O’Neil referred to Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday as their “wordest performance” of the season due to their lack of energy and difficulty in creating scoring opportunities.
The game at Molineux initially appeared to be heading towards a challenging afternoon as Wolves didn’t manage a shot until the 21st minute when Hwang fired directly at Thomas Kaminski after beating the offside trap.
Hwang later opened the scoring with a shot that deflected, leaving Kaminski unable to adjust in time, bringing his season goal tally in the league to 11.
Gomes strengthened Wolves’ position with a diving header at the back post, connecting with Mario Lemina’s cross from a short corner.
Ait-Nouri had a prime opportunity to seal the game with about 20 minutes left but failed to connect cleanly with Hwang’s cross, despite being completely unmarked and only six yards from the goal.
The only significant downside for Wolves was Morris’ goal, which prevented them from securing their first clean sheet in the league since February 25.
O’Neil told BBC Sport: “It’s amazing the difference having a couple of attackers makes to us. It is the first time since 30 December that we have been able to name Hwang and (Matheus) Cunha in the same team.
“There are so many positives from this season. We’ve improved on the points tally of last year, stabilised the club financially and I think it’s 13 academy players involved in matchday squads.”
Time running out for Luton
Manager Rob Edwards will be expecting much more from Luton in their final three games of the season if they are to secure another year in the Premier League.
Throughout most of the season, hard work and perseverance have been hallmarks of Luton’s approach, but the demands of top-tier football seem to be wearing them down. This recent match marks their 10th loss in the last 13 league games, with only one win in that period.
Morris stood out as Luton’s primary threat, making dynamic runs and trying to find space along the channels, yet a lack of support often left him isolated.
His header, saved in the 38th minute just before Hwang netted at the other end, was one of the few attempts Luton made until Morris himself scored.
Following consecutive 5-1 defeats to Manchester City and Brentford, Luton’s goal difference has significantly suffered, which could be a decisive factor in their struggle to remain in the Premier League.
Luton is currently just one spot and one point behind Nottingham Forest, who are in the last safe position, but their goal difference is 11 worse than that of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who are set to face City on Sunday.
Edwards told BBC Sport: “Points-wise, we are on a difficult run but we’re still in this. We still fully believe.
“You could see that today. If they didn’t believe, it could have been a lot worse today – you would have seen it on the pitch – and I didn’t see that at all.”