Wolves 0 Liverpool 3

A superb goal by Raul Meireles put Liverpool on their way to deepen the relegation worries of lacklustre Wolves.

Meireles volleyed home a spectacular finish in the roof of the net in the 49th minute to double the Reds' lead, in between two tap-ins from Fernando Torres on 36 and in injury-time at the end to seal their first win since Kenny Dalglish returned as manager.

Watched by their biggest crowd of the season, 28,869 and including England manager Fabio Capello, Wolves were well beaten as Liverpool won at Molineux for the first time in 31 years.

Mick McCarthy's side lacked their recent spark going forwards and only troubled goalkeeper Pepe Reina with shots from Steven Fletcher and Nenad Milijas, while substitute Adam Hammill scuffed his shot from six yards out on his debut against his first club.

The return of captain Karl Henry was the only change manager McCarthy made from last week's 4-3 defeat at Manchester City as the teams emerged, led out by chairman Steve Morgan's sons Red and Mark.

Midfielder Henry returned at the expense of David Jones, who dropped to the bench alongside new signing Hammill.

But Henry was part of a Wolves midfield that was a sad second best to Liverpool, for whom the shaven-headed Meireles ran the show.

On a pitch that was rapidly cutting up, action was fast, furious and scrappy in the early stages.

Christophe Berra went off after four minutes after suffering a gashed head after he was caught by Meireles in an aerial clash at a corner before returning to the fray.

Early on, Wolves were typically gutsy and didn't allow Liverpool to settle, snapping into them at every opportunity.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina ran a gauntlet of abuse from the capacity crowd after running 80 yards to 'assist' in the sending off of Stephen Ward at Anfield on Boxing Day 2009.

There were also words exchanged between substitute goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann and the Liverpool bench.

But it was the visitors who created the only chances of the first-half, with goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey forced into serious action twice before the Reds took the lead.

Torres was first to test the Wales international, who parried wide after the striker cut inside Berra after being put through by Meireles.

Nenad Milijas curled a 25-yard free kick a foot over, before Meireles volleyed narrowly wide from distance after a Torres backheel.

Hennnessey then smothered from Rodriguez after the winger cut inside Berra.

Then came the first goal, Torres steering home his 10th of the season, after a superb pass from Christian Poulsen split the Wolves defence and beat the offside trap for Meireles to run onto and cross.

Lifted by the goal, Liverpool continued to attack and Torres in particular, was suddenly looking very lively.

But it was Wolves who threatened next and, in their first serious attack of the game six minutes before the break, Fletcher's left-foot shot brought a diving save from Reina after build-up play involving Kevin Doyle and Milijas.

Milijas missed a real chance in time added on at the end of the first-half, firing straight at Reina from point-blank range at the far post after creeping around the back from Stephen Hunt's swirling free kick.

Berra emerged for the start of the second-half with his head heavily bandaged.

But the Wolves defender soon had a lot more than his cut to worry about as Liverpool doubled their lead within four minutes of the restart.

There seemed little danger when Berra headed clear, but Meireles met it full on the volley that flew into the top corner of the net for a sumptious goal that gave Hennessey no chance.

Wolves enjoyed plenty of possession, but couldn't convert it into chances and they weren't helped by a poor final ball at times.

But Fletcher almost broke the gloom for the home side with a deflected shot in the 66th minute that Reina caught going the wrong way, after Milijas' pass over the top to Jarvis wasn't cleared.

Ronald Zubar allowed Rodriguez to get the wrong side of him but thankfully his shot was too weak to trouble Hennessey.

With Wolves trying to push up, Liverpool should have scored a third goal in the 74th minute.

Torres freed the galloping Meireles on the overlap to cross to the unmarked Jonjo Shelvey. But, with only Hennessey to beat, the Liverpool substitute fired woefully wide.

Wolves then attacked with purpose, Berra heading inches over from Milijas' corner before Hammill scuffed his shot from six yards out.

Hammill looked bright from the off, crashing in two tremendous crosses either side of his attempt on goal, the latter headed over by Doyle.

Torres had a shot smothered by Hennessey going the wrong way, after it clipped Berra, before Fletcher headed over from Jarvis' cross.

But it was very much Liverpool's day and Torres underlined the Reds' supremacy by rifling their third goal into the roof of the net, meeting a loose ball from close range after Berra played Kuyt onside and Richard Stearman slid in to block.

Back to back defeats mean poor Wolves know they have plenty to do in this relegation battle.