Wolves 2, Fulham 1: Bill Howell's big match verdict
Fulham’s record at Molineux hardly gave rise to much hope, having been beaten five times and drawn the other of half-a-dozen meetings since a 4-0 success in front of barely 6,000 fans in April 1985.
It was certainly welcome from a Wolves perspective that the goal came from Doyle – his first in domestic football since March when he found the net for Reading at Sheffield Wednesday, and one of only two goals in 2009 which earned him his record transfer to Wolves.
Greg Halford wound up a trademark long throw, Christophe Berra got the vital headed touch to send the ball goalwards and Doyle made no mistake with a header from four yards with Mark Schwarzer already diving the wrong way.
Bobby Zamora profited from slack defensive play by Henry and Michael Mancienne to fire into the side-netting.
Andy Keogh had the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time with a fine finish but Wolves had to wait only five minutes after the interval for the crucial second goal.
Keogh escaped down the right, checked inside the area, which won him a couple of yards from his two markers, and rolled a simple pass to Edwards who smashed a right-foot shot under the crossbar and into the top corner.
It was the midfielder’s first goal since December against Derby.
Matt Jarvis was afforded the freedom of the city of Wolverhampton after speeding down the left flank, cutting inside John Pantsil but shooting narrowly over.
There was a scare at the other end when Zamora played Andy Johnson clean through but Wayne Hennessey was brave and saved the shot at his feet.
The woodwork saved Fulham when Keogh’s cross came off the top of Aaron Hughes’ head with Schwarzer fumbling the ball on to the crossbar.
Dickson Etuhu forced Hennessey into a really fine diving save to his left past the hour mark as he let fly with a sweetly-struck shot from 25 yards.
With the introduction of Simon Davies for Clint Dempsey, Fulham at last woke up with Damien Duff, a complete bystander beforehand, drilling a shot wide from the edge of the area.
Their chance of getting back into the match duly arrived when Mancienne, poor at Blackburn but fine here, tugged at Zamora with the striker attempting to back on to Johnson’s deflected low cross in the six-yard box.
Danny Murphy made no mistake from the spot.
Wolves replaced the impressive Edwards with 6ft 7in home debutant Stefan Maierhofer with Molineux booing Fulham’s introduction of former Albion skipper Jonathan Greening and Kamara.
Fulham should have levelled with an utter gift when Wolves’ defence went to sleep at a free-kick.
With the backline stepping out, Zamora found Kamara whose first touch was poor before his shot clipped Hennessey’s arm and was cleared off the line by Elokobi.
