Wolves 2 Boro 0: Boro lose unbeaten streak at Molineux

Bakary Sako’s cheeky penalty and Nouha Dicko’s second-half strike were enough to end Boro’s seven-game unbeaten run.

Victory moved Kenny Jackett’s side up to fourth in the Championship while the visitors stayed third. Jelle Vossen hit the bar for Boro and Patrick Bamford was twice denied by smart Carl Ikeme saves but they lacked a clinical edge.

Middlesbrough made four changes from their 2-1 win at Brighton as Vossen, Bamford, Kenneth Omeruo and Dean Whitehead came in.

Ben Gibson, Lee Tomlin, Kike and Adam Clayton dropped out, with the latter sidelined after being knocked out at the weekend.

Wolves always looked more likely to open the scoring – which they did on 33 minutes.

Sako and Dicko combined well for the latter to burst into the area and he was clumsily brought down by former Molineux defender George Friend. Sako chipped the ball down the middle for his seventh goal of the season.

The hosts clinched the points on 73 minutes when Dicko scampered into the area, bulldozed his way past two weak challenges and fired high into the net from eight yards.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme, Doherty, Batth, Ebanks-Landell, Rowe, Evans, McDonald, Henry, Edwards, Sako (Jacobs 63),Dicko (Clarke 78). Unused substitutes: Golbourne, Stearman, Sagbo, Ricketts, Flatt.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos, Fredericks, Ayala, Omeruo, Friend, Adomah, Leadbitter, Whitehead, Reach (Tomlin 65), Vossen (Wildschut 76), Bamford (Garcia 64). Unused substitutes: Gibson, Nsue, Veljkovic, Mejias.

Referee: C Berry (Surrey).