(Reuters) -Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves scored a late goal to seal a 2-1 win at Brentford in Saturday’s Premier League match which was temporarily suspended due to security reasons.
Portugal international Neves struck in the 78th minute, firing home from 20 yards out following a brilliant team effort as the visitors fought back after Joao Moutinho’s opener was cancelled out by Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
The result extended Wolves’ unbeaten run to six games in all competitions, with Bruno Lage’s eighth-placed team looking strong in their pursuit of European qualification.
“It was a very good start of the year, three wins in the Premier League and one win in the (FA) Cup and we came with the right mentality,” Lage told the BBC.
“So three points, good goals and I think we controlled the game with the ball that’s why I’m happy today with my boys.”
Earlier, the teams played out a prolonged first-half after a drone hovering above the Brentford Community Stadium paused the match for 19 minutes.
Wolves, missing talisman Raul Jimenez through injury, could not convert their chances in the first half but had a solid start after the break as Moutinho struck in the 48th minute.
The 35-year-old played a clever one-two with Nelson Semedo on the edge of the box before smashing the ball into the bottom corner with the outside of his foot.
Brentford responded in the 71st minute with Toney firing in a volley from Bryan Mbeumo’s free-kick, but they had no answer to Neves’ goal.
Wolves almost added a third goal in stoppage time when substitute Adama Traore thrashed the ball in at the near post, but his effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.
The game ended with Brentford manager Thomas Frank being shown a second yellow card for remonstrating with the referee as his promoted team slumped to their fourth successive league defeat.
“That was quite a crazy game. I think if we look at the football, we started fantastic until the break with the drone and the two concussion things,” Frank said, referring to the clash of heads between Mathias Jensen and Rico Henry in the first half.
“I think we were brilliant, definitely the best team on the pitch. Aggressive, good on the break, but after that Wolves were better.
“We 100% didn’t deserve to lose at all, it’s at least a draw… We are struggling to get points in this moment in time but the good news is that they are good performances.”
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
