Glenn Murray’s effort, just minutes into the second half was enough to seal all three points for the home side and condemn Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to just their third defeat of the campaign.
The final result would have been a hard pill to swallow for a Wolves side which dominated the game, but could not take one of their multitude of chances.
Wolves started the brighter of the two sides, with a lot of the visitors’ attacking play going through Matt Doherty. Firstly, he was released down the right wing before pulling the ball back to the edge of the box where Raul Jimenez stretched to meet it but inadvertently took it out of Jonny Otto’s path.
Then five minutes later, the Irishman set up a shot 20-yards from goal. He shot first time and saw his effort blocked by what looked like the arm of Alireza Izquierdo, but the referee waved away loud Wolves appeals for a penalty.
The right wing-back then found space in behind the Brighton back line. Taking a touch, Doherty fired a low ball across the face of the home side’s goal, but the ball was able to be cleared at the back post.
Wolves could have taken the lead in the 17th minutes when Ruben Neves showed fantastic vision to spot the darting run of Doherty into the box, but despite the full back stretching to meet the pass he could not reach the through ball.
Adama Traore, making his first start for Wolves, combined well with Jonny mid-way through the first half, before bursting forward and looking for goal. His shot took a slight deflection but was comfortably claimed by Mat Ryan.
Wolves’ best chance of the first half again fell to Doherty, who exchanged a one-two with Jimenez on the edge of the box before looking for goal left footed, but his curling effort along the ground was just the wrong side of the post.
Despite Wolves’ attacking dominance, Brighton could have taken the lead just before half-time when Shane Duffy missed a fantastic opportunity for the hosts. The centre-back met a corner which was whipped in from the right but could only head wide from a matter of yards out.
Half-time: Brighton 0 Wolves 0
Just minutes into the second half Brighton took the lead. Bruno smashed a shot across goal which was blocked by the Wolves defence, only to fall at the feet of Murray who slotted the ball past Patricio and into the back of the net.
The goal sparked Nuno into making a double change, with Diogo Jota and Ivan Cavaleiro replacing Traore and Jimenez, and the changes seemed to give Wolves a bit of momentum, as the visitor’s piled on the pressure.
Joao Moutinho took aim first time from 20-yards but Ryan was able to get cross his goal well to save and hold, before Jota released Cavaleiro in behind the Brighton defence, but the forward’s low crosses was smothered by the home side’s keeper.
Doherty had another two chances into the second half, when a deep ball from Cavaleiro found the marauding wing-back at the back post. The defender shot first time but saw his deflected effort strike the side netting. He then shot from distance from the edge of the box, but Ryan was able to palm the effort wide.
Wolves had another glorious chance later in the half, when Neves took aim from a free kick, only for Lewis Dunk to get his head on the effort to redirect the shot over his own crossbar when it looked destined for the net.
The visitor’s continued to put pressure onto the Brighton back line, but despite being camped in the home side’s box for most of injury time and launching shot after shot on Ryan's goal, Wolves couldn't force an equaliser.
Full-time: Brighton 1 Wolves 0
Brighton: Ryan, Bruno, Dunk, Duffy, Bong, Jahanbakhsh, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo (Knockaert 81), March (Bissouma 72), Murray.
Unused subs: Steele, Balogun, Bernardo, Andone, Locadia.
Wolves: Patricio, Doherty, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Otto (Bonatini 85), Moutinho, Neves, Costa, Traore (Cavaliero 61), Jimenez (Jota 61).
Unused subs: Ruddy, Gibbs-White, Vinagre, Dendoncker.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 30,654
