Matt Maher analysis: An ugly match which will be remembered for a beautiful Wolves finish

It would be naive to suggest Sasa Kalajdzic’s 87th-minute winner erased all the frustration and pain the striker has experienced since joining Wolves a year ago this week.

Life does not work that way. Those experiences on the long road to recovery from the serious knee injury sustained just 43 minutes into his Molineux career now form part of the Austria international’s make-up.

But Saturday’s goal at Goodison Park did represent a new beginning. In more ways than one, as Kalajdzic later confirmed his thumb in the mouth, ball up the shirt celebration signified he and fiancee Lorena Grabovac are expecting their first child.

For head coach Gary O’Neil, meanwhile, the goal and the result represented a start. After two defeats, his tenure has lift-off and while this might not have been a performance to convince anyone Wolves are a team shooting toward the stars, the result brought some much-needed cheer ahead of a week which will inevitably be dominated by the transfer window and which moves will and won’t be made up to Friday’s deadline.