Sky Bet Championship: Wolves sealed a crucial victory in the promotion chase, beating Brentford

Nouha Dicko continued his impressive comeback with another goal as he helped fire 10-man Wolves to a hard-earned 2-1 Sky Bet Championship victory over Brentford at Molineux.

Dicko, who grabbed the winner at Watford on Boxing Day, struck after just seven minutes to put Wolves on course for their first home win since October and move them firmly back into the promotion race.

The 22-year-old has now scored twice in three games since his return from almost two months out with a hamstring strain.

An own goal from James Tarkowski following a Kevin McDonald shot put Wolves 2-0 up 17 minutes from time, but McDonald was sent off three minutes later after collecting a second yellow card.

Danny Batth's own goal in the 87th minute gave the Bees further hope, but their opponents held on.

While the win gave added impetus to Wolves' promotion chase, Brentford's own hopes suffered a setback as they crashed to a second successive defeat.

Brentford would have gone in front after six minutes but for a combination of goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and a post.

After a pass from Jonathan Douglas, Jota skilfully teed up a chance for himself, but Ikeme got his left hand to the shot and turned the ball on to a post.

Instead the opening goal came at the other end a minute later.

A through ball from Kortney Hause caught the Brentford defence flat footed and Dicko surged clear to beat 'keeper David Button with a fierce drive from eight yards.

Dicko's strike sparked a spell of Wolves domination and, after McDonald saw his 22nd-minute shot deflected wide, Brentford had to rely on the woodwork to avoid falling further behind.

Bakary Sako's shot from 20 yards looked to be heading for the roof of the net before a slight deflection saw it cannon to safety off the bar.

Brentford struggled to find a way back into the game and, when a rare chance did come their way in the 30th minute, diminutive midfielder Alex Pritchard failed to test Ikeme with a low stooping header following Moses Odubajo's cross.

Odubajo set up another opening for Pritchard, who this time saw his shot blocked by Richard Stearman, the centre-back also in the right place at the right time to deny Jota.

Ikeme came to Wolves' rescue again four minutes before half-time, this time back-pedalling furiously to push a misplaced header from his full-back Dominic Iorfa over the bar.

Having managed to survive that spell of pressure, Wolves came close to doubling their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Button somehow beat out Sako's 25-yard free-kick.

Sako was at the heart of Wolves' best moves and the Mali international will have been disappointed that he failed to hit the target when set up by Rajiv Van La Parra.

The Dutchman also played a key role in Wolves' decisive second goal.

He headed a cross from Dave Edwards against the bar, with McDonald following up to shoot from eight yards, with Tarkowski on the goal line getting the last touch as he tried to keep the ball out.

That appeared to end Brentford's challenge, but the dismissal of McDonald handed them a route back into the game.

They pulled a goal back when Jake Bidwell's low cross was deflected past Ikeme by Batth.

And they almost snatched an equaliser at the death, only for for Andre Gray's header to hit a post.