Cole the Wolves avenger

Wolves 1 Norwich City

Wolves made it 10 games without defeat and found a new hero in on-loan striker Carlton Cole. The 19-year-old Chelsea star struck the only goal of the home clash with Norwich, but manager Dave Jones warned against expecting too much of the player who scored 39 goals in three different Chelsea teams last season.

Jones, who was delighted with the performance that restored his club to the First Division's top six, said: "We have to remember we're asking a 19-year-old to step into the shoes of a 29-year-old and do the same things. But Carlton gives us a different dimension up there to what we have had since Nathan Blake was injured. You need a buffer up there; someone to hold onto the ball and let other players get forward.

"It was great for him to score and, if I could speak good Italian, I would ask Claudio Ranieri if I could have him for three months. But we will see how this month goes and take it from there. He has shown what a quality player he is, even if you would crucify a more senior player on occasions for losing the ball once or twice."

Cole – making his first start after a substitute outing last week – kept a cool head to fire home from 10 yards in the 37th minute after Robert Green had beaten out a glancing effort from Kenny Miller to Mark Kennedy's left-wing centre.

Keeper Green then performed heroics in the second half to keep the Canaries in contention. He produced a tip-over from Kevin Cooper, went down low to keep out Miller's goalbound shot and saved his best for a leap high to his left to push away a Cole header from Cooper's centre.

But Norwich boss Nigel Worthington brushed aside suggestions that it had been a one-man show. "Let's keep it in perspective," he said. "Robert Green made two or three saves and that's what he's there for. I thought there were two decent teams out there trying to play the game in the right way. Some of our passing was excellent but the quality in the final third could have been better.

"If we stay honest, we will pick up points away from home. We have to remember we don't have the quality of players Wolves have, nor their millions. We have done very well to get as far as we have."

Norwich's Iwan Roberts saw a header blocked near the line, but their only other near miss was a header from Zema Abbey just before the end. For the most part Wolves were well in control against the team who beat them in last season's play-offs.

Wolves 1 Norwich City 0
Cole 37

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 25,753