Driving rain and slick passing conspired to see Wolves dominate early proceedings at Molineux, but by the end City nearly got an equaliser after questionable decisions on the Tigers' line-up were rectified. 

It is now four months since City's last competitive victory, the splendidly dominant 2-0 win at Valley Parade in the Spring sunshine that put all but the final seal on the Tigers' promotion charge. Since then the learning curve has been steep and was extended once more yesterday against a Wolves side that at times oozed quality as they passed the ball around and made the Tigers chase shadows. That City were able to come back into the game in the last quarter and nearly steal an unlikely point is testament to the fact that while we are evidently playing now at a much higher level, we do have players capable of raising their game and competing.

It also told us something that I suspect many fans knew. That Kevin Ellison isn't up to the job at this level. While there is no doubting his commitment and willingness, his touch and footballing brain appear to be found significantly wanting. I don't really like to moan at players during the game, but even I lost patience with him the closing minutes of the game. He simply doesn't appear to understand how play can develop, and therefore doesn't know where he should take up his attacking or defensive station. He's not good enough, I regret to say. Thanks for the work you did to cover for Stuart Elliott's absence last season Kevin, and thanks for a splendid goal at Tranmere. Now be off with you back to Chester.

Sorry to start on a negative. It sets up the description of the first half. With Elliott suspected injured (his substitute appearance was shorn of the Ulsterman's usual vigour, as though he had a bad cold or something), Cort (L) definitely injured and Price dropped after a poor show at Hillsborough, we carded three changes:

Myhill
Wiseman Coles Delaney Edge
McPhee Ashbee Andrews Ellison
Fagan Barmby

Barmby was a withdrawn front man, we often lined up 4-5-1. Barmby, McPhee and Fagan all had spells out on the right. It was a team picked for its fluidity. It was a team with the viscosity of lard in the first half as Wolves laid down their slick passing game in thrilling fashion and kept the Tigers chasing shadows for much of the time. That City allowed Wolves to pass the ball without much impedance from any tackling until the edge of our penalty box was reached, played into the talented home side's hands enormously. We simply showed them too much respect, respect that later in the game it emerged they didn't really deserve. I trust we won't make that mistake again against our next ex-Prem opposition Leicester and Palace.

Maybe the opening seconds rocked City harder than it should have. Wolves kicked off and immediately switched to the ball wide left to Scotch international forward Kenny Miller, who hurtled past Scott Wiseman and lashed a goalbound shot across Myhill, who tipped it past his far post superbly. After 4 minutes, more good passing from right to left found Miller and Wiseman in the same positions. Again Miller got a shot off after showing blistering pace, but this scooted just wide of the far post without intervention from Boaz. It was rude awakening to the Championship for young Wiseman, he certainly didn't encounter any of this when on loan at Boston last season. But to his immense credit he dug deep, concentrated hard and put in an 85 minute shift that showed what a promising footballer he is as he generally coped with the express threats of Wolves wide men Miller and Seol. He's a real talent this boy, and I hope he now gets an extended run in the team in Lynch's absence.

It took the Tigers eleven minutes to draw breath and cross the half way line, Ellison finding space down the left, beating his man well then delivering a cross too deep for any City strikers to latch onto. Wolves continued to pass the ball with skill and imagination, some of their play was pretty awesome frankly, and on 19 minutes it yielded a goal. A move down the Wolves left was broken down and the ball fell to Ellison on the edge of City's box. His first touch was OK but he stumbled as he looked to run upfield and the ball trickled to the feet of Korean wideman Seol. Seol passed the fallen Ellison then nipped the ball sweetly betwixt the legs of the covering Edge before lumping a cross-cum-shot into the six yard box that Delaney turned into his own net as Cort lurked immediately behind him. It was just about the most thoroughly deserved goal against City I've seen for a couple of years, testament to this being the first League game in a while that the Tigers have started as overwhelming underdogs. It was 1-0. For the rest of the half it could have, and perhaps should have, been more.

From the kick-off City won a free-kick and a corner which ended up being cleared to Wiseman whose return ball into the box was headed tamely at the keeper by the anonymous McPhee. The young Scotsman simply failed to get any sort of foothold in the game and was replaced seven minutes before half-time by Elliott, whose first contribution was dribble dangerously 40 yards across the face of the Wolves goal, then stand gasping and blowing as he recovered his puff for a full 15 seconds - definitely not all was right with our talismanic God-botherer and energy conservation was the order of the day for the rest of the game. McPhee's substitution was, remarkably, City's second change of the game as on 33 minutes Green replaced the ex-Wolf Andrews in midfield, who had had no more than two touches in the entire game, effected no tackles and generally resembled a rabbit on a rural lane trapped in the headlamps of an onrushing supercharged steam roller. He was withdrawn for his own safety, I suspect, although I hear that a spoof injury is now being cited as the reason for the change.

Wolves continued to carve out chances, Carl Cort in particular looking dangerous as Miller faded out of the game and only showed his pace and touch in flashes, and well away from the City goal. Credit to Wiseman for encouraging Miller to drop deep and avoid young Scottie's attentions. With six minutes of the half remaining Ellison was released down the left flank and his excellent cross was tapped in by Barmby after a ricochet or two in the box. Given that the cross was delivered by Ellison from a position hugging the goalline, the fact that this goal was disallowed for offside seemed ultra-harsh, bordering on ludicrous. Referee Lee Mason, whose brother I learn from another board is ex-City striker Andy, was perhaps obliged to chalk off the score in defence of his negligent flag-waving linesman, but it would certainly seem that a robbery had been perpetrated. In the last moments of the half a Cort shot was created by Miller's pass and Myhill spilled the ball wide for a corner. It is worth noting that the whole half was played in heavy drizzle, so the fact that Boaz's first fumble of the game came in the 45th minute is a matter of some credit to his sure-handedness.

The second half opened with Wolves still dominating matters, Lescott seeing his powerful header from a corner cleared off the line. But as the half proceeded and some of Wolves' more creative talents retreated into their shells - notably Seol, Miller and the nippy Ricketts - so City established some kind of foothold in the game. On 53 a foul on Ashbee in the Wolves half yielded a free kick that Elliott headed narrowly over. But was only as the last quarter of the game approached, after France replaced Barmby and Naylor and Miller wasted good shooting opportunities, that City began to look the team most likely to score and Wolves' passing became ragged. At this stage it was the stoic none-shall-pass attitude of centre-back Lescott, rather than the speed and guile of their wide men, that was the most impressive element of Wolves play as City attacked but struggled to get past this defensive mammoth. If he's not as good a centre half as exists in England outside the Premiership then I'd be amazed.

Nevertheless we did have chances, and it was Elliott that they fell to, which has got to be good news. Alas, Michael Oakes in the Wolves goal was equal to Stuey's challenge, clawing away one low shot then tipping another fizzing 25 yarder onto the crossbar. A goal didn't come and frankly it probably wasn't deserved if the course of the entire ninety minutes was taken into account. However a friend - who occasionally writes match reports on this list but is very unreliable - only got into the ground at 4:30 and revealed to me after the game that he thought we were all over them. I suspect the trauma of the first half coloured City fans into thinking that Wolves were rather better during the last 20 than they actually were.

So with one week of the Championship under our belts we have already learnt plenty. We gave QPR a good game, and they are top 3, so we can't be that bad. We probably let three points slip at Hillsborough, they look a poor side and an early candidate for the drop. Wolves looked a great team when they were bothered, but they also showed that a bit of grit and endeavour can encourage them to retreat into their shell. The three games have shown that City have little to fear from this division, and we should have real belief that we are already amply equipped to prosper in the Championship. Final word is dedicated to Danny Coles, who throughout the game - especially the first half onslaught - defended with expert positioning, strength and determination. He is a real find, and paired with Leon Cort will provide City with the foundation for a successful season of mid table consolidation. Splendid!

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Wiseman, Coles, Delaney, Edge; McPhee, Ashbee, Andrews, Ellison; Fagan, Barmby.  Subs: Green (for Andrews, 33), Elliott (for McPhee, 38), France (for Barmby, 66), Joseph, Leite.

Goals: None

Booked: Ashbee

Sent Off: None

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: Oakes, McNamara, Lescott, Edwards, Naylor, Ricketts, Ince, Seol, Kennedy, Miller, Cort.  Subs: Cameron (for Ricketts, 64), Clarke (for Miller, 87), Olofinjana, Ikeme, Ndah.

Goals: Delaney (og) 19

Booked: Kennedy

Sent Off: None

REFEREE: L Mason

ATTENDANCE: 24,333