Blackburn 3 Wolves 0

Wolves again paid the price for missed chances and rotten luck as they hit rock bottom for the first time this season after crashing to their fifth defeat in six at Blackburn, writes Tim Nash.

Bizarrely, Stephen Ward hit the post and Ronald Zubar bar and post in a whirlwind opening for Mick McCarthy's side before poor defending led to a 19th minute setpiece opener from David Dunn.

Wolves again seemed to suffer at the hands of the officials as the pivotal second goal on 43 came after Jason Roberts looked a yard offside before Brett Emerton fired home.

The visitors' hopes of some stability at the back saw them try three different centre-back partnerships before Ryan Nelsen scored Rovers' third goal on 55.

Wolves tried to hit back and camped inside Blackburn's half for most of the rest of the game and Rovers were indebted to keeper Paul Robinson for pulling off flying saves to deny George Elokobi on 70, substitute Stephen Hunt spectacularly on 70 and in injury-time and fellow sub Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

But it was too little, too late and the result left Wolves, now without a clean sheet in 22 games, at the bottom on goal difference before West Ham play at Sunderland tomorrow.

Beset by injuries, McCarthy fielded an unfamiliar line-up, with both centre-backs changed from last week's 3-2 win over Sunderland, and two other positional changes, while untried youngsters Sam Winnall and Matt Doherty were on the bench for the first time in the Premier League.

Richard Stearman paid the price for some recent errors by dropping to the bench at the expense of Steven Mouyokolo, while Christophe Berra was recalled for the injured David Jones which saw Elokobi go from central defence to left-back and Ward was pushed into central midfield for the first time in the Premier League.

But the changes didn't seem to affect Wolves initially they made a blistering start in the driving rain.

In the space of a few dramatic seconds in the fifth minute, Ward's angled shot was superbly tipped against the base of the post by Robinson after Matt Jarvis released the Irishman into space inside the area, the ball bouncing agonisingly the wrong side of Kevin Foley to put away.

Then after Rovers failed to clear the loose ball, Ronald Zubar twisted inside Gael Givet before sending a vicious, curling shot against the underside of the bar then the post before the ball bounced to safety.

Blackburn were slow to start but dangerman Dunn almost broke clean through after Givet freed him in the inside left position and it took a gold and black sandwich of Mouyokolo and Berra to block him off.

But it was from a more familiar Rovers route that the home side took the lead in the 29th minute.

Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner was headed back into the danger area at the far post by Nelsen and Dunn, the smallest man in the penalty area, glanced home from just inside the six-yard box, the ball crossing the line despite the desperate attempts by Kevin Doyle and Foley to clear it.

Just after the half hour mark Nenad Milijas saw a swerving 25-yarder beaten away by Robinson.

But Rovers appeared to get lucky two minutes before the break with their second goal.

Roberts looked a yard offside when he raced onto a Mechel Salgado punt before outmuscling Mouyokolo and squaring for Emerton to smash home.

Wolves introduced Ebanks-Blake for Mouyokolo at the break as they switched to 4-4-2 and dropped Michael Mancienne at centre-back alongside Berra.

But the change hardly had chance to take effect before Wolves made a third switch to their back line – just seven minutes after the break - when Stephen Hunt replaced Mancienne and Ronald Zubar moved across to central defence.

It mattered little however as McCarthy's side conceded a third goal within 10 minutes of the restart.

This time it was another Pedersen setpiece that sliced the visitors open as his curling free kick was met by a simple volley from Ryan Nelsen.

Wolves' piled forward to launch a comeback but found Robinson in superb form and there was no way back.