Cardiff City vs Wolves: Stunning Junior Hoilett strike claws hosts out of the bottom three

Junior Hoilett scored a magnificent winner as Cardiff City came from behind to give their manager Neil Warnock every reason to celebrate his 70th birthday this weekend.

The Canadian struck a sweet, curling shot 11 minutes from the end of a frenetic game which Wolves had looked in control of when Matt Doherty put them ahead.

But Aron Gunnarsson’s equaliser fuelled Cardiff’s belief they could claim their third win in their last four home games.

For Wolves, the momentum swing is firmly in the other direction. This was their fifth defeat in six matches and they have picked just a point from the last 18 on offer.

This was a fixture that had ended in uproar and acrimony last season when both managers, then in the Championship, had clashed over a handshake that was ignored, re-propositioned, snubbed, and finally raged over afterwards.

This time, Wolves’ Nuno Espirito Santo got in early – offering his extended hand to Warnock, perhaps mindful of the fact that the Cardiff manager was on the eve of celebrating his landmark.

The edginess was evident on the field, too, as both sides struggled for fluency in the wet conditions.

Cardiff’s early pressure led to a snap half-volley from Joe Ralls which flew just wide, but it was Wolves who took the lead after their first attack of note in the 17th minute.

The pace and directness of Adama Traore led to a corner taken by Joao Moutinho which Raul Jimenez met with a glancing header. Cardiff keeper Neil Etheridge palmed the ball away, but Matt Doherty’s reaction speed was quicker than Aron Gunnarsson’s and the Wolves defender fired his shot into the roof of the net.

Cardiff have become accustomed to falling behind though – they did so in their recent home victories over both Fulham and Brighton – and their response was full-throttled if not especially subtle.

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But their direct approach did bring two openings that almost forced an equaliser before half-time.

Harry Arter hit the post with a volley from the corner of the penalty box after Sean Morrison’s header from a corner was only half-cleared in the 36th minute.

An aerial route also offered a chance to Victor Camarasa but he was unable to sort his feet out following a knock down by makeshift striker Callum Paterson.

Within seconds of the re-start, Camarasa got behind the Wolves defence but could not decide whether to shoot or cross and his hybrid was ineffective.

Cardiff continued to enjoy plenty of possession, but lacked a cutting edge and when Paterson suffered a shoulder injury, even his aerial threat became muted.

Wolves began to grow into the half, but also lacked the quality that marked their progress in the early part of the season.

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Cardiff’s best chance of an equaliser seemed to lay through their set-pieces and so it proved when Gunnarsson made the game level at 1-1 in the 65th minute.

Arter hoisted a high ball from a corner which keeper Rui Patricio misjudged, enabling Morrison to flick on a backward header. The ball sat up invitingly for Gunnarsson but the Icelander still needed composure to keep his volley under the bar.

Morrison then showed his value at the other end when his stretched leg kept Moutinho from turning in a cross from the left.

In a match of mostly low quality, Junior Hoilett then put Cardiff 2-1 ahead with a breathtaking goal out of the blue in the 79th minute.

Ralls’ cross led to blocked efforts for both Paterson and substitute Bobby Reid, but when the ball rolled invitingly for Hoilett the winger hit a beautiful curling drive from an angle and the ball flew past Patricio.

With five minutes remaining, Wolves substitute Morgan Gibbs-White had a chance to level the scores but lofted his half-volley over the bar.