Wolves’ poor end to the season continued as they were held to a frustrating draw by already-relegated Norwich City at Molineux.
Rayan Ait-Nouri rescued a point after an improved second-half performance by the home side, but it is now just one win from their last seven games.
Teemu Pukki gave the Canaries an early lead, but they weren’t able to hold on for a final away victory of the season.
There was an end-of-season feel to the game from the start, with both sides lacking form and purpose.
Pukki fired wide after being released by a perfectly-weighted pass from Kieran Dowell, before John Ruddy denied him with a fine save moments later. Toti’s well-timed challenge stopped Dowell as he closed in on a tap-in from the rebound.
Wolves dominated possession but were frustrated by Norwich’s robust defence for much of the first half.
Their only chance of real note came after half an hour, when Raul Jimenez’s cross was headed over by Hwang Hee-chan.
Eight minutes before the break, it was third time lucky for Pukki. He cut in from the right and created a sight of goal before wrong-footing Ruddy for his eleventh goal of the season.
Booed off at half-time, Wolves came out fighting and levelled 10 minutes after the restart. Joao Moutinho’s free-kick caused chaos in the area, eventually finding its way for Ait-Nouri to head home.
The mood changed instantly. Chiquinho, a half-time change for the hosts, was causing all sorts of problems and Norwich suddenly looked vulnerable at the back. Pedro Neto nearly put Wolves ahead, only to be thwarted by Angus Gunn.
Bruno Lage’s side hunted the winner but were unable to make their dominance count.
It was a much improved second-half display from Wolves as they looked to end their season on home soil with a flourish.
The introduction of Chiquinho made a real difference and they began to find more space in key areas than before, with Norwich looking much less resolute.
But ultimately, Lage’s side perhaps won’t be sad to see the back of Molineux for the time being as they failed to turn around a drab home record, having won just three of their previous nine in Wolverhampton.
Europe could have been on the cards had they not wilted at the end of the season, with this result confirming the Europa Conference League is out of reach after West Ham’s draw against Man City.
Canaries hold on but will rue early misses
There was a reaction from Norwich here, after a difficult few weeks which confirmed their return to the Championship. The heart was evident again, but perhaps the quality wasn’t.
It could have been very different had Pukki made good on those opportunities in the first half, and Dean Smith will no doubt be disappointed with the manner of the goal they conceded.
-BBC
