Wolverhampton Wanderers have recorded a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon courtesy of Ruben Neves's second-half penalty.
The Portugal international emphatically put Wolves ahead shortly after the restart after Harry Toffolo was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area, but Forest had the opportunity to get back on level terms through a spot kick of their own in the closing stages.
However, for the second time this season, Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa crucially saved a late penalty, this time from Brennan Johnson, as Wolves held on for just their second top-flight win of the season.
Wolves, who still have Steve Davis and James Collins in caretaker charge, have moved outside of the relegation zone into 17th spot, while Forest have dropped down to the bottom of the table.
Amid speculation of a potential return for ex-head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves needed to avoid any distractions, and the home side were able to produce one of their better performances of the season.
Nevertheless, the West Midlands outfit remained without an end product in the final third, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Adama Traore each wasting opportunities before Max Kilman directed a header against the post.
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As it became apparent that one goal may decide the contest, Wolves were awarded a penalty after the break when Toffolo was deemed to have to handled the ball inside the area, a decision which required several minutes to be determined via VAR.
Despite the referee requiring numerous looks at the incident, he eventually made the call to give the spot kick, allowing Neves to step up from 12 yards and ruthlessly put in Wolves in front.
However, the same would occur at the other end of the pitch with 15 minutes remaining, Matheus Nunes eventually being adjudged to have committed a foul inside the area when the initial feeling was that Traore may have handled.
Nevertheless, from the resulting penalty, Sa, who has been playing with a fractured wrist, dived to his left to deny Johnson, a potentially pivotal moment for each team even at this early stage.
Ryan Yates should have equalised for Forest at the start of eight minutes of added-on time, sending a free header over the crossbar, but Wolves deserved the three points ahead of continuing their search for a new head coach.
Darren Plant
