Matt Doherty scored the only goal in Wolves’ pre-season training match with Como 1907, which was overshadowed by a reported racial remark directed at Hee Chan Hwang.
The incident led to angry reactions from Hwang’s teammates, resulting in a red card for Daniel Podence, but Wolves still saw out the victory thanks to Doherty’s header.
All three of Gary O’Neil’s summer signings – Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes and Jorgen Strand Larsen – started the game, with the latter forcing an early save out of Adrian Semper.
Dan Bentley, between the Wolves sticks, then excelled to turn Samuel Ballet’s effort on to the crossbar, before Hugo Bueno cleared off the line from former Old Gold attacker Patrick Cutrone.
On the stroke of half-time, Strand Larsen had the ball in the Como net, firing Pablo Sarabia’s pass hard and low across goal, but the offside flag was raised to deny him.
O’Neil changed his whole 11 at the break and team two were responsible for opening the scoring around the hour mark, as Rayan Ait-Nouri’s free-kick was met by a thumping Doherty header at the back post for 1-0.
Unfortunately, midway through the second half Hwang reported that he’d heard a racist remark from a Como player, which led to altercations in the centre circle and, ultimately, a red card for Podence.
Wolves played on with ten men successfully and Hwang, who was wearing the captain’s armband having taken over from Mario Lemina, almost added a second late on, as Wolves saw out the win.
First half 11: Bentley, Lima, Lonwijk, Mosquera, H Bueno, Lemina (C), Rawlings, R Gomes, Sarabia, Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Second half 11: King, Doherty, S Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Doyle, Cundle, Podence, Chiquinho, Bellegarde, Hwang (C).
