NUNO HAILS BRILLIANT RUI AS WOLVES GET LUCKY

NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO admitted Wolves were fortunate not to be handed a thrashing — let alone ending up winning.

But the Portuguese insisted he is not yet dreaming of riding his luck to next season’s Champions League.

Wolves are already going great guns in the Europa League, and moved closer to the top four with a Canary-crushing comeback.

But make no mistake, the brilliance of keeper Rui Patricio was the only reason why second-bottom Norwich hadn’t wrapped up all three points at the break.

Todd Cantwell did manage to beat him but his super saves meant the stage was still set for victory.

And so it proved as Romain Saiss and the otherwise poor Raul Jimenez netted to keep the Wolves bandwagon rolling.

Nuno (far right) said: “The first half was not very good. We were lucky – he kept us in the game, but that’s his job. The second half was much better as we created chances and controlled the game.”

Wolves will be hoping Chelsea don’t beat Tottenham today as that would keep them within a single win of fourth.

Spurs boss

Jose

Mourinho sees them as rivals but

Nuno said: “No.

Never. We don’t compete for the table, we compete to perform.” The first 45 minutes was the Patricio show – first Portugal’s most-capped shot-stopper tipped Kenny Mclean’s effort round a post after Emi Buendia left three men trailing.

Then he diverted Alex Tettey’s low left-footer from outside the box on to a post before Cantwell netted on 17 minutes.

Teemu Pukki sent Mclean away down the left and, although Jonny Otto was in the right place to mop up at the back post, he could only place the ball in Cantwell’s path and the midfielder lashed in his fifth goal of the season.

Wolves were stunned and Norwich continued to dominate.

Buendia beat three men down the line in his own half before setting Pukki up for a great chance.

But again Patricio got enough on the Finn’s shot to divert it wide – and it was the same story just before the break when the brilliant Buendia had again set up Pukki.

Wolves simply couldn’t be as bad in the second half and so it proved.

They levelled on the hour from a smart corner routine that ended with Saiss outjumping Sam Byram at the back post to head home.

That changed everything and the Canaries lost all poise at the back. Jimenez had the last word with a simple finish in the 81st minute after Tim Krul had parried Matt Doherty’s close-range effort.

Norwich boss Daniel Farke said: “Today is one of those days where football feels like the most unfair sport.”