East Fife 2 Wolves 3 - match report

Bjorn Sigurdarson (31), Leigh Griffiths (48) and Tongo Doumbia (66) put the visitors in control in a satisfactory first game under Jackett which saw 22 players used.

Wolves started with an unfamilar 3-5-2 line-up for Jackett's first game.

Richard Stearman, Danny Batth and George Elokobi were the centre-backs, with Matt Doherty and new captain Sam Ricketts wing-backs.

David Davis and Dave Edwards were the central midfield pairing, with Bakary Sako playing in front of them Sigurdarson and Jake Cassidy.

Wolves, wearing their traditional gold and black despite clashing with the colours of East Fife, who changed to all red, were first to threaten in the 13^th minute when the lively Bakary Sako saw an angled shot pushed around the post by keeper Michael Andrews after being teed up by Matt Doherty.

Doherty volleyed straight at Andrews a minute later after East Fife partly cleared Sako's corner as the visitors made the more lively start.

Wolves switched to a more familiar 4-4-2 formation after 20 minutes with Stearman, Batth, Elokobi and Ricketts at the back and Doherty, Davis, Edwards and Sako in midfield.

It made little difference to the overall progress of the game as Paul Willis fired an angled low effort wide for the hosts before Sako got away from Alexis Dutot and Ismael Bouzid only to fire high and wide from a tight angle.

Wolves took the lead slightly against the run of play, but it was a classy, well-worked effort started and finished by Sigurdarson.

The £2.4m striker produced a strong burst through the middle following an East Fife attack before finding Sako to his left.

Continuing his run, Sigurdarson was perfectly positioned to net a falling first-time shot from a yard out from Cassidy's headed knockdown at the far post from Sako's cross.

Doherty hit the inside of the post from Sako's centre after Sigurdarson sent the French winger galloping clear of Dutot and Ismael Bouzid.

Out of the blue, East Fife equalised from the spot a minute before the break.

Joe Jackson was judged to have been fouled by Batth, with the former Burnley midfielder making the most of the flimsiest of contact on the edge of the area, and he sent Carl Ikeme the wrong way.

Wolves made 10 changes at half-time after Jackett and Joe Gallen lectured the starting XI on the pitch at the interval.

Only Batth remained on, although he was later replaced by Elokobi.

And Wolves were quickly back in front when Griffiths provided the sort of finish they will be seeking from him this season.

The Scotland international produced a clinical effort from inside the six-yard box from Liam McAlinden's left-wing cut back.

From then on, it was pretty much all Wolves as the youngsters worked hard to impress Jackett.

McAlinden was denied by a great save after Anthony Forde's clever pass put him through on 56 before Griffiths dragged a solo effort wide three minutes later.

It was no surprise when Wolves made it 3-1 when Griffiths turned provider, his corner flicked on by Batth and the ball hitting Doumbia to fly high into the net, the Frenchman seeming to know little about it.

A Griffiths curler was blocked by the covering Scott Durie on 68 before East Fife reduced the arrears through Kevin Nade after a couple of ricochets off Jack Price then Elokobi, who appeared to be outmuscled by the burly striker who fired home despite Aaron McCarey getting a good hand to the ball.