Jimenez the special one for Nuno as Wolves soar

WOLVES BOURNEMOUTH 1 0

Boss Nuno Espirito santo praised ‘special’ striker Raul Jimenez after the forward maintained Wolves’ Champions League charge.

The Mexico international’s second-half header secured a narrow victory over Bournemouth at Molineux.

Wolves are sixth, just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea who now have a game in hand, and they travel to stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.

Jimenez’s 15 league goals is also the most by a Wolves player in the top flight since John Richards scored 17 in 1975-76, leaving Nuno impressed.

The Wolves manager said: ‘He has been working very hard and he is a special player. His motivation is to improve, he has broken the club record (most goals in a Premier League season) and he is challenging himself again and again every day.

‘He has improved in a lot of things. I cannot be specific with one but, if you asked me the other way around, there is also a lot of room to improve. He can be better.’

In a game of few chances, Jimenez and Adama Traore combined for the tenth time this season to seal victory on the hour.

Traore swung in a cross from the right and Jimenez rose about Jack stacey and steve Cook to power in a header from six yards.

Pedro Neto should have made it 2-0 in stoppage time after an excellent run but fired wide.

Bournemouth remain in the drop zone on goal difference.

Boss Eddie Howe said: ‘It’s very tight, it will go possibly down to the wire. We have to realise — although we are in a difficult moment — nothing is lost. We still have a chance to define our destiny.

‘We’re not creating enough, nowhere near enough. That’s the thing which will hurt us more. We have good technical players but it didn’t show. We were wasteful with the ball and ultimately I think that has cost us the game.’