Wolves 3 Sheffield Weds 0: Owls crumble away after controversial penalty call

Sheffield Wednesday's Claude Dielna gets away from Wolves Benik Afobe at Molineux last night.

Bakary Sako’s penalty and Benik Afobe’s 27th goal of the season sent Kenny Jackett’s side on their way as they kept in touch with the top six in the Sky Bet Championship.

James Henry then added the gloss to a comfortable victory meaning Wolves have lost just once in their last seven games.

Tomasz Kuszczak saved well from Jacques Maghoma but Wednesday are left marooned in mid-table with little but pride to play for.

Wolves made two changes as Scott Golbourne and Nouha Dicko replaced Kortney Hause and Henry, while Stevie May returned for Wednesday along with Maghoma and Marnick Vermijl.

And the visitors threatened first as Atdhe Nuhiu and Tom Lees headed wide before Wolves took the lead in controversial fashion after 19 minutes.

Dicko burst down the right and skipped past one sloppy Wednesday tackle but then went down under a soft challenge from Claude Dielna in the area and referee Simon Hooper gave a penalty.

The forward looked to have fallen easily but Sako sent Keiren Westwood the wrong way from the spot for his 12th goal of the season.

Maghoma fired at Kuszczak as the visitors tried to respond before Westwood saved well after Kevin McDonald squeezed in behind the Wednesday defence.

Westwood turned Dicko’s 20-yard effort wide, before denying Jack Price. But Kuszczak kept Wolves ahead when he clawed away Maghoma’s header, while Nuhiu headed over.

Wolves doubled their lead on 55 minutes. Matt Doherty wriggled free on the right and crossed for the unmarked Afobe to thump a volley in off the post from 12 yards. Henry made it 3-0 when he cut inside and curled into the top corner from 20 yards.

Wolverhampton: Kuszczak, Doherty, Batth, Stearman (Ebanks-Landell 74), Golbourne, van La Parra (Henry 53), Price, McDonald (Edwards 88), Sako, Dicko, Afobe. Unused substitutes: McCarey, Evans, Doyle, Hause.

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Vermijl, Lees, Dielna, Helan, Maguire, McGugan, Hutchinson (Filipe Melo 77), Maghoma, Nuhiu, May (Lavery 64). Unused substitutes: Buxton, Mattock, De Havilland, Kirkland, Lee.

Referee: S Hooper (Wiltshire).