Premier League: Liverpool 0 Wolves 1

Wolves grabbed their first win at Liverpool for 27 years to lift themselves off the foot of the English Premier League on Wednesday.

Wolves’ away form has been dreadful this term, with just one point picked up away from Molineux all season.

But a workman-like performance and a first goal of the season for makeshift striker Stephen Ward secured a priceless 1-0 away victory for Mick McCarthy’s side and simultaneously piled the pressure on Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson.

Liverpool – who welcomed Steve Gerrard back from a six-week absence – now slip down into 12th and are just three points clear of the Premier League drop zone.

The spotlight is well and truly on Hodgson, less than six months since his arrival on Merseyside.

Considering their poor record on their travels this season, Wolves started the game looking like away-day specialists with plenty of high pressure and dogged defending early on.

Even so, Raul Meireles should have done better after eight minutes after a neat through-ball by Fernando Torres.

But the Portugal midfielder’s poor attempt was easily held by Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who enjoyed a reasonably quiet first half.

In fact, Liverpool’s lack of invention in the first half ensured they left the pitch at the interval to a chorus of boos from the Kop.

And it got worse for the Liverpool supporters just 11 minutes after the restart when Wolves took the lead.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake seized upon some shaky Liverpool defending to slip the ball through to Ward, who finished coolly.

It was an extra-special moment for the Irishman – usually utilized at left-back – after being sent off in this fixture last season.

On that day, Liverpool racked up a routine 2-0 victory, with Gerrard getting among the goals.

But this was a very different game for Liverpool and their talismanic midfielder, who looked off the pace after his absence.

Wolves meanwhile, continued to frustrate Liverpool and it was a measure of their performance that Hodgson’s side never managed to break through in search of their equaliser.

They did, however, get the ball in the net with two minutes left to play, but Martin Skrtel’s effort was ruled out for offside.