Premier League: Liverpool 2 Wolves 1

Liverpool’s Premier League campaign is back on track after a 2-1 win at Anfield over a feisty Wolves team.

Reds manager Kenny Dalglish will be delighted they secured three points after two consecutive losses away from home had threatened to overshadow a solid start to the season.

Mick McCarthy will feel unlucky to have lost as Wolves were unable to turn hard work and graft into a second goal.

Both sides headed into the game off the back of midweek wins in the Carling Cup, and it was Wolves who began brighter, fashioning a few half-chances in the first few minutes.

Liverpool began to come out of their shells 10 minutes in, and on 11 minutes they took the lead through an own goal when Charlie Adam’s drilled shot went wide before a deflection off the head of Roger Johnson directed it goalwards.

The Wolves skipper was fighting a losing battle against an in-form Andy Carroll, the centre-back allowing him to rise unchallenged for a corner, though it was aimed harmlessly at goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

After the initial shock of going a goal down, Wolves started to pin the hosts back a little.

Luis Suarez put an end to any immediate insurgence, timing a run to perfection to beat the offside trap to collect Jose Enrique’s lobbed through-ball 38 minutes in.

The Uruguay international dummied on his left foot, then right, before turning to finish at the near post, doubling the home side’s lead.

Suarez nearly added his second in first-half stoppage time, sliding his shot just wide after evading tackles in the penalty area.

McCarthy brought Matt Doherty and Steven Fletcher on at half-time, and the experienced manager immediately proved justified in his changes.

Wolves began at a blistering pace and after a number of whipped crosses failed to be cleared, Stephen Hunt set up substitute Fletcher to blast into the back of the net on 49 minutes, the West Midlands club scoring their first goal in four league games.

Liverpool nearly responded wonderfully as Welsh keeper Hennessey was unable to hold onto a cross from the left when challenging with Carroll but got up on his feet to save Suarez’s poached effort with lightning fast reflexes.

Minutes later Carroll powered a header against the post from an inch-perfect cross by Downing.

Keeping the tempo high-octane, Dalglish’s side countered swiftly and looked certain to score when four-on-one on the edge of the 18-yard box but Hennessey once again kept the away side in the match.

At the other end, striker Kevin Doyle should have drawn the underdogs level but stuttered to shoot and ultimately the attack came to nothing.

Steven Gerrard made his long-awaited return to Premier League football after six months out on 80 minutes, coming on for an unhappy-to-be-substituted Suarez.

The Anfield icon tried a couple of long shots as the game’s tempo – and Wolves’ self-belief – evaporated, much to the delight of the home crowd although none of his attempts were on target.