NO DEADLINE surprises and nine Premier League games without a win has left Wolves staring at the dreaded drop.

And the knives came out again for Mick McCarthy.

It’s 20 games since his side kept a clean sheet and the fact that they have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five matches at home is the stuff that keeps kids awake at night and adults reaching for the bottle.

Wolves battled and snarled for 45 minutes and three-times even sniffed an opening goal but David Edwards, Steven Fletcher and Michael Kightly were thwarted.

In the dying moments substitute Sylvan Ebanks-Blake rattled the post with a cracker from 30 yards but Wolves had caved in.

“We’ve had a shot on goal,” mocked the South Bank. They arrived in hope and left as an angry mob, booing and heckling: “What a load of rubbish”.

All this in front of Albion boss Roy Hodgson and QPR boss Mark Hughes who will have not seen much to frighten them as the 31-year wait for a home win over Liverpool went on.

Kenny Dalglish just loves Molineux. Liverpool’s 3-0 win here last season was his first triumph since his return as their manager.

A difficult year on from his £35 million move from Newcastle and all of a sudden life looks rosier for Andy Carroll.

Wolves survived an incredible let-off in the third minute when Craig Bellamy’s cross was flicked into the six yard box by Carroll. Roger Johnson went to ground as Dirk Kuyt’s close-range toe-poke was blocked by Wayne Hennessey then bobbled wide. Glen Johnson fell in the box, looking for a penalty under the faintest of touches from Emmanuel Frimpong. Referee Anthony Taylor saw nothing.

Wolves got themselves a foothold in the game and came within a fine Pepe Reina save of taking a 12th minute lead.

Kightly’s diagonal ball found Edwards in space six yards out but his first time shot was too close to the Spaniard.

Jordan Henderson’s sublime low through-ball sliced the Wolves defence in two and presented danger man Bellamy with a half-chance that he could only prod wide. Bellamy was on a one-man mission to gun down Wolves and then tried his luck with a speculative 30 yard drive that tested Hennessey.

Hennessey blocked a goalbound Daniel Agger header with his legs on the line as the defender connected sweetly with Bellamy’s corner. Jose Enrique blasted straight back into the danger zone but league debutant Eggert Jonsson blocked.