WOLVERHAMPTON (AFP) - Wolves remained in the English Premier League despite a 3-2 defeat by Blackburn Rovers here on Sunday, the final day of the season.
Victory for Rovers secured their top-flight status, which had been in mathematical doubt before this match, while the effect of this contest and results elsewhere kept
Wolves, 3-0 down at half-time, in the Premier League by a point.
Roman Pavlyuchenko was the toast of Molineux for scoring the two goals which gave Tottenham a 2-1 win over Birmingham that condemned Wolves' local rivals to relegation instead.
With three minutes of the season remaining Wolves' chairman Steve Morgan was sat with his head in his hands contemplating the Championship as Wolverhampton looked to have thrown away the chance of being masters of their own destiny.
They were heading back to the Championship by virtue of having scored one less goal than Birmingham.
Then Stephen Hunt's dramatic 87th minute strike looked to have kept Wolves up on the slender margin of a solitary goal.
But the celebrations began in earnest at Wolves when news of Pavlyuchenko's second goal in stoppage time at White Hart Lane filtered through to nervous home fans at Molineux.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy had always insisted the battle for Premier League survival would come down to the final game and, in theory, he could not have wished for a better proposition than Blackburn at home.
However, it was Rovers striker Jason Roberts, formally of Wolves' despised rivals West Bromwich Albion, who opened the scoring by deflecting Michel Salgado's shot to wrong-foot Wayne Hennessey.
And the visitors were 3-0 up before half-time thanks to a brilliant volley from Australia midfielder Brett Emerton and a goal from Junior Hoilett.
Wolves were still 3-0 down with 17 minutes left before Jamie O'Hara's goal, from a fine free-kick routine, gave the hosts' hope of avoiding the drop.
But, at that stage, Wolves knew from events elsewhere that they needed another goal.
McCarthy was seen furiously gesticulating to his players but all hope was fading until Hunt latched onto a long punt down field from Hennessey and produced the curling shot that defeated Paul Robinson from the corner of the 18-yard box three minutes from time.
If any goal was required to be the one to make the difference, Hunt could not have provided one better but in the end it did not matter because of events at White Hart Lane.
Victory for Rovers secured their top-flight status, which had been in mathematical doubt before this match, while the effect of this contest and results elsewhere kept
Wolves, 3-0 down at half-time, in the Premier League by a point.
Roman Pavlyuchenko was the toast of Molineux for scoring the two goals which gave Tottenham a 2-1 win over Birmingham that condemned Wolves' local rivals to relegation instead.
With three minutes of the season remaining Wolves' chairman Steve Morgan was sat with his head in his hands contemplating the Championship as Wolverhampton looked to have thrown away the chance of being masters of their own destiny.
They were heading back to the Championship by virtue of having scored one less goal than Birmingham.
Then Stephen Hunt's dramatic 87th minute strike looked to have kept Wolves up on the slender margin of a solitary goal.
But the celebrations began in earnest at Wolves when news of Pavlyuchenko's second goal in stoppage time at White Hart Lane filtered through to nervous home fans at Molineux.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy had always insisted the battle for Premier League survival would come down to the final game and, in theory, he could not have wished for a better proposition than Blackburn at home.
However, it was Rovers striker Jason Roberts, formally of Wolves' despised rivals West Bromwich Albion, who opened the scoring by deflecting Michel Salgado's shot to wrong-foot Wayne Hennessey.
And the visitors were 3-0 up before half-time thanks to a brilliant volley from Australia midfielder Brett Emerton and a goal from Junior Hoilett.
Wolves were still 3-0 down with 17 minutes left before Jamie O'Hara's goal, from a fine free-kick routine, gave the hosts' hope of avoiding the drop.
But, at that stage, Wolves knew from events elsewhere that they needed another goal.
McCarthy was seen furiously gesticulating to his players but all hope was fading until Hunt latched onto a long punt down field from Hennessey and produced the curling shot that defeated Paul Robinson from the corner of the 18-yard box three minutes from time.
If any goal was required to be the one to make the difference, Hunt could not have provided one better but in the end it did not matter because of events at White Hart Lane.
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