Fulham were left ruing their failure to finish after a gutsy Wolverhampton Wanderers side shrugged off several injury setbacks to secure a slender win at Molineux this afternoon.

Marco Silva stuck with the same eleven that earned victories over Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion, which meant Joao Palhinha had to settle for a spot on the bench after his return from suspension. Silva’s faith should have been rewarded with a half time lead but the visitors spurned several good chances during a dominant first half.

Andreas Pereira tested Jose Sa’s reflexes early on with a clever curler but Harry Wilson should have put the Londoners ahead after surging onto Alex Iwobi’s through ball. The Welsh winger screwed a rushed shot wide of goal before Tosin Adarabioyo rattled the crossbar when it seemed easier to score from Harrison Reed’s cut back. Perhaps that should have been the clue that this wasn’t going to be Fulham’s day.

Gary O’Neill had to go back to the drawing board when his weakened squad suffered yet more injury wow. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde lasted only eleven minutes whilst the lovely Pedro Neto limped off at the end of the first half with a recurrence of his hamstring injury. Wolves’ attack was intelligently led by teenager Nathan Fraser, who shone on his first start. The 19 year-old’s first run might have brought a penalty, but the hosts best opening before the break arrived when the outstanding Mario Lemina threaded through Rayan Ait-Nouri only for Bernd Leno to intervene in the nick of time.

Wilson sent a curler agonisingly wide at the start of the second half, but Wolves earned the opening goal by pressing Fulham from the front. Reed gave away a free kick and Toti took advantage of a poor clearing header from Calvin Bassey, turning the loose ball into the path of Ait-Nouri, who hammered his first goal since December 2002 high into the net from close range.

Silva sent on Tom Cairney and Willian, but the Fulham captain inadvertently played a key part in doubling their deficit. Fraser burst onto Joao Gomes’ pass and when his cross was blocked, Gomes’ backheel gave Nelson Semedo a sight of goal. The full back’s shot was deflected past a disbelieving Leno by the luckless Cairney.

A flurry of Fulham changes saw the visitors finish on the front foot. Sa saved superbly from Palhinha before Max Kilman magnificently cleared Rodrigo Muniz’s header from beneath his own bar. Sa was then at full stretch to deny Adama Traoré a trademark goal on his return to Molineux. Man of the match Lemina couldn’t quite kill off his old club when he raced through on Leno at the start of stoppage time, but Wolves clung on for a valuable victory despite Iwobi flicking in Armando Broja’s ball right at the death.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (4-2-3-1): Sa; Semedo, Ait-Nouri, S. Bueno, Kilman; M. Lemina, Gomes; Sarabia, Neto (Toti 45), Bellegarde (Doyle 11); Fraser (Doherty 77). Subs (not used): Bentley, B. Traoré, N. Lemina, H. Bueno, Chirewa, Chiwome.

BOOKED: Semedo, Bueno.

GOALS: Ait-Nouri (52), Cairney (o.g. 67).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne (Broja 80), A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Reed (Cairney 61), Lukic (Palhinha 70); Wilson (A. Traoré 70), Iwobi, Pereira (Willian 62); Muniz. Subs (not used): Rodak, Tete, Ream, De Cordova-Reid.

BOOKED: Reed, Palhinha.

GOAL: Iwobi (90+8).

REFEREE: Tony Harrington (Teesside).

ATTENDANCE: 30,860