If Gary O’Neil was trying to convey understated satisfaction at full time, he probably should have told Shaun Derry.
His right hand man was fist pumping the air with the best of us as Wolves locked down a second away win of the season to elevate themselves up to the giddy heights of midtable.
Whether he wants to admit it or not, victory was sweet for the boss and not just because of the opposition. He made smart changes in the game that swung momentum his current team’s way.
Tommy Doyle came on for João Gomes at half time and immediately threaded the ball through in the build up to Cunha’s equaliser. His passing elevated the team and helped us get control of the game even before the Cherries were reduced to 10.
And no complaints about the red card please. Yes, Hwang threw himself to the ground like he’d been planted with a sledgehammer but you can’t stick your head in someone’s face and stay on the pitch.
Wolves continued to move the ball well and probe around the Bournemouth box, but it was right at the end when the game became stretched that the winning goal arrived.
Sasa, another smart substitution, won it back, got to his feet, collected Hwang’s fantastic pass and finished with aplomb. That’s twice the Austrian has come on to win a game for his side this season.
I’d be screaming for him to start but you can’t deny the impact of the first choice front three.
Another goal for Cunha and an assist each for Neto and Hwang. They’re building numbers we could only dream about from our attackers in recent years.
Pedro in particular is in scintillating form (is anyone in the league playing better?) and was unlucky to see that first half rocket come back off the angle.
His team went in behind at the break after conceding a goal that was great from a Bournemouth perspective as they effortlessly transported the ball up the pitch but awful for Wolves with players dragged out of position and nobody able to block or make a tackle.
That was more or less all Bournemouth offered as an attacking force and I did think that Wolves had been the better team at the interval, despite the negative scoreline.
By the end, the visitors had clocked up 12 corners and 20 shots on goal, cementing their superiority to more than warrant the three points.
That’s four Premier League games unbeaten and with eight points snaffled in the process, things are looking rosy in the garden.
Time will tell if we’re storing up nuts for a cold and bleak winter or building towards a sunnier season than most imagined.
But I feel good about this team now and the squad gives the manager options. He’ll have some difficult decisions next week with Lemina, Semedo and possibly one or two others back in contention.
It’s a nice position to be in and one you certainly begrudge Gary O’Neil.
Well in mate.