Premier League: Wolves 2 Fulham 0

Wolves sit on top of the English Premier League table following their 2-0 home victory over Fulham on Sunday.

Mistakes from the visiting men just before the interval saw the grateful Kevin Doyle and Matt Jarvis claim the three points for Mick McCarthy’s side.

The Cottagers rarely threatened and their leggy display will have raised questions about the worth of their lengthy Europa League qualifying exertions.

The five-minute delayed kick-off time due to traffic outside Molineux did not hamper the host’s Jamie O’Hara as he skillfully danced past the Fulham defence on the right flank in the third minute.

The midfielder’s threatening cross was nudged into the path of the onrushing Karl Henry on the edge of the penalty box by Philippe Senderos but the Swiss was able to stick out a leg and deflect the volley away for a corner.

A swift Fulham counter-attack in the 10th minute – after Brede Hangeland stole the ball from the toe of Doyle as the Irishman prepared strike from 15-yards – then saw Damien Duff shoot into the hands of the grateful Wayne Hennessey when well placed inside the area.

Doyle should have done better just before the half-hour mark when he barged Hangeland off the ball inside his own area and sidestepped around goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

But the striker blasted his shot over the bar with the open goal beckoning in a let off for the visitors.

Fulham had defended stoically up to the 41-minute mark, but a lack of conviction from Kasami and John Arne Riise saw Doyle fire Wolves deservedly ahead.

The pair stumbled into each other as they tried to clear a flat Jarvis corner and allowed the Republic of Ireland international to shoot high into Schwarzer’s top-left corner.

Things then went from bad to worse for the away side in first-half injury time as Jarvis fired into an empty goal to double the lead after Schwarzer inexplicably charged out to meet a Stephen Hunt cross.

New club captain Roger Johnson was denied a Molineux debut goal after his header bounced off the right-post, but Jarvis made no mistake after pouncing on the rebound.

Wolves’ first-half stranglehold quickly resumed after Fulham had a couple of chances immediately following the break, and Steven Fletcher and O’Hara both went close from distance just before the 65-minute mark.

Wolves continued to keep Fulham at arm’s length for the rest of the contest, with Hunt drawing a fine save from Schwarzer in the best chance of the final half hour.