Saturday 25 November 2017 18:49, UK
Wolves extended their advantage at the Sky Bet Championship summit with a rampant 5-1 triumph over Bolton at Molineux in a match which saw both managers sent to the stands.
First-half goals from Willy Boly and Leo Bonatini put the hosts in the ascendancy and Ivan Cavaleiro's penalty just after the hour mark stretched their advantage. Will Buckley pulled a goal back on 74 minutes but Cavaleiro restored the hosts' three-goal cushion eight minutes later and Diogo Jota sealed the rout three minutes from time.
Bolton fell behind when they were caught out at a corner. Barry Douglas whipped in a cross and Boly rose above the visiting defence to head home his second goal of the season.
Bolton goalkeeper Ben Alnwick was then badly at fault when Bonatini made it 2-0. Alnwick raced to the right-hand edge of his area to try and cut out a long through-ball from Ruben Neves but was beaten to it by Jota. Jota lifted the ball over the stranded Alnwick and Bonatini had the simple task of heading into an empty net from six yards for his 11th goal of the campaign.
The game exploded on the touchline in the 44th minute when the Wolves bench reacted furiously to a challenge by Bolton central defender David Wheater on Jota. That sparked a reaction from their Bolton counterparts as the two management groups clashed.
Once the dust had settled, referee Keith Stroud gave Bolton boss Phil Parkinson, who had also been dismissed earlier in the season against Sheffield Wednesday, and home manager Nuno Espirito Santo their marching orders.
Wolves got the focus back on events on the pitch and the result was effectively put beyond doubt when Cavaleiro made no mistake from the spot after Romain Saiss had been fouled by Antonee Robinson.
Buckley briefly raised Bolton's hopes when he converted a pass from Gary Madine with a low shot under goalkeeper John Ruddy before some more Cavaleiro trickery on the edge of the area saw him blast the ball into the roof of the net after a neat pass from substitute Helder Costa.
Wolves then went route one to make it five when Ruddy's long clearance was chased down by Jota, who beat Alnwick with a powerful drive to round off a big win for Nuno's pace-setters - their fifth straight and eighth in the last nine.
Nuno: "It is something that happens every week in football. There is a tackle, I think it is tough, and I reacted to it. There is an argument. Nothing more than that. The referee told us to go. Both of us were doing our jobs the best way we can for our teams. The ref spoke with us, we were totally calm.
"I speak (after the game) with Phil, we had a good conversation and we sorted it out. We are grown-up men and we solved the issue. Both of us were doing our jobs the best way we can for our teams. I have to say I am sorry for my behaviour. I have standards. Before I'm a manager, I'm a person. In society, I respect every human being."
Phil Parkinson: "We had an argument, but that happens every single week. I said to the fourth official that if managers are going to get sent off for having an argument then there will be no managers left in the dugout.
"They jumped up after Wheater's foul and I was frustrated with how many of them jumped up and how vociferous they were, but they weren't happy with the tackle. We exchanged a few words but that is nothing more than happens every single week. All he (Keith Stroud) had to do was come and say, 'Look lads, settle down', manage it a bit better, and that is my view on that."
