WOLVES ROAR INTO TOP SPOT

LEO BONATINI’S ninth goal of the season helped Wolves regain first place in the Championship table. Willy Boly’s first goal in English football gave Nuno Espirito Santo’s side the perfect start in their quest to overtake overnight leaders Sheffield United. Wolves, who had twice smashed the Championship transfer record this year, had slipped up at the weekend by losing at QPR. But Rangers did them a favour by beating the Blades and once Bonatini netted in the 72nd minute at Carrow Road there was no way back for Norwich, who would have climbed into the play-off positions had they won. ‘It was important to bounce back from the previous game so well done to the boys for doing that,’ Espirito Santo said. ‘We know we are not going to win every game, that is the truth about football, so the message was, “Let’s be ourselves”. You can’t achieve anything without hard work and the boys worked hard.’ A header from Norwich’s Marley Watkins hit a post early on but poor marking from a corner at the other end allowed Boly a free header for an 18th-minute opener. Alfred N’Diaye, Bonatini and Diogo Jota failed to convert clear second-half chances as Norwich were left bewildered by Wolves’ counter-attacking. But when Norwich failed to deal with a routine free-kick, Bonatini’s first-time effort in the 72nd minute confirmed victory. ‘They deserved to win, 100 per cent,’ Norwich manager Daniel Farke said. ‘Normally I am very sad about a loss but today they were the better team.’