NOT HOWE TO AVOID DROP...

Traore and Jimenez allowed to punish Cherries

IF Eddie Howe has a plan to beat relegation he will have to do better than this.

His side turned up at Molineux playing 4-5-1 looking for a point to climb out of the drop zone.

But there was a large flaw in the strategy as it banked on keeping danger man Adama Traore quiet.

The Cherries did a reasonable job on him in the first half, either triple marking or fouling him.

But as the 18th-placed visitors, and left-back Adam Smith in particular, tired in the second half the Spanish flier was able to whip in a hanging cross for Raul Jimenez to bury from on high in the 60th minute. It was the 10th Premier League goal this prolific pair have linked up for.

Bournemouth made a triple substitution to finally open up but still failed to get a shot on target.

Howe, in charge at the south coast club since his second spell began in 2012, appears to be running out of ideas.

And with his side taking just seven points from a possible 30 in 2020 – fewer than anyone else – he is running out of time as well.

But Wolves, with the Europa League parked until August, stay sixth after a second successive win since the restart, and Jimenez said: “When we are like this as a pack we can achieve anything.”

Neither side created much early on, but when Traore beat Smith out wide on the hour Jimenez came storming in at the back post to head home his 24th goal in all competitions this term.

Substitute Pedro Neto raced clear in injury time but dragged his shot agonisingly wide.

Howe admitted: “On the ball we were wasteful and that disappoints us. The challenge is to forget the table and play football, but it’s easier said than done.”