Matheus Cunha blew ten-man Bournemouth’s bid to land fourth spot in the Premier League.
But the Brazilian’s first half match winner was enough to give Wanderers a priceless away victory in their bid to stay in the top-flight.
It ended his side’s three-match winless run on the road and denied the Cherries their first top-flight league double over them.
And it certainly boosted Wanderers’ survival hopes lifting them five points clear of the drop zone.
The Cherries never really got their pressing game going but they weren’t helped by a harsh sending-off on 31 minutes.
Ever-present defender Illia Zabarnyi was booked by referee Michael Salisbury for a foul on Rayan Ait-Nouri.
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But VAR advised Salisbury to go to his monitor to check and the official changed his decision to a red card.
Wolves couldn’t get out of their own half for the first few minutes against the charge of light Cherries brigade.
Marcus Tavernier curled one shot straight at goalkeeper Jose Sa before the Wolves man used his legs to block shots from Antoine Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier.
But the first threat from the visitors on nine minutes came so close to a goal.
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Nelson Semedo struck a low shot onto the home post before Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s follow-up effort forced an excellent saved out of goalkeeper Kepa.
Then Semedo lost his marker at the near post and headed Matheus Cunha’s free-kick over the bar.
The Cherries weren’t defending for long and Semenyo slipped in Justin Kluivert whose close-range effort was kept out by Sa’s outstretched right arm.
Then Salisbury stunned the home side when he sent off Ukraine international defender Zabarnyi.
Zabarnyi had lunged in on Rayan Ait-Nouri but he seemed to get to the ball first before his foot struck the player’s leg.
It looked a harsh decision and to rub salt into ten-man Bournemouth’s wounds Cunha had the ball in the home ten just five minutes later.
Semedo’s cross somehow dropped at the Brazilian’s feet and he cleverly lifted his shot into the top corner.
It was Cunha’s fourth goal in as many league and Cup matches and 13th of the campaign.
The mood certainly changed inside the stadium and the intensity dropped from the home team.
Now they had to play for over an hour without Zarbarnyi who had played every minute of every previous match.
Wolves replaced Joao Gomes, who had been booked for a wild foul on Tavernier, at the break with Jorgen Strand Larsen.
And the visitors sensed they had the Cherries on the ropes by mounting a series of attacks on the hosts.
Semedo raced into the home box but shot tamely straight at a very grateful Kepa.
But the visitors threw away a golden opportunity to double their score just after the hour.
A slick move sent Bellegarde clear and his cross found Marshall Munetsi all alone in the box just 10 yards out.
Yet, with an empty goal beckoning the Zimbabwe international from French side Reims somehow miss-kicked the ball wide.
Chelsea loanee Kepa denied Wolves substitute Pedro Lima a second goal in stoppage time-but the damage had already been done to the hosts.
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Bournemouth, beaten just once in their last 13 Premier League fixtures, crashed to their second home defeat in a row after losing to Liverpool.
And Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira fisted the air in jubilation at the final whistle before Salisbury was booed off the pitch.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
