St. George's 0 Wolves 3

Two goals in the space of three minutes early in the first half and a third at the same stage of the second half were more than enough to earn struggling Wolves all three points in this bottom-of-the-table clash at Wellington Oval.

The visitors, whose last victory was at this same ground on New Year's Day before their second half slump began, looked only a shadow of the team that recently won the Dudley Eve Trophy. Still, they were a notch or two above their opponents who failed to play with the intensity seen last week in the FA Cup.

Inspired by Devonshire Cougars' win on Friday night over Devonshire Colts, second-from-bottom Wolves came into this match knowing the importance of three points. Goals in the 13th and 16th minutes eased their nerves and helped them to settle down.

The first came when St. George's keeper Troy Hall advanced out of his box and conceded a corner on the left. Jared Peniston flighted a cross which was too high for Hall to cut out and the ball bounced back across goal off the legs of Gregg Foggo for Julian Francis to drive low into the back of the net from 10 yards. Peniston got the Wolves second three minutes later when he beat the advancing Hall to a ball into the box and steered it into the empty goal.

With Peniston and Vince Minors probing on the flanks, Wolves looked the more fluent of the two teams but they allowed too many chances to go begging with final touches in and around the edge of the penalty box.

St. George's, already relegated, had a couple of good chances early in the second half but Yuseff Pitt wasted them both. First he put an effort wide from about seven yards out after a long ball into the box from a Neil Paynter free kick created an opening at the far post.

Just moments after that Pitt broke through on the right but shot into the sidenetting from an angle as Sinclair Gibbons was following up at the far post.

Those misses proved costly as Wolves hit back with a third a few minutes later.

Both teams made substitutions in the 57th minute, with Kyle Williams coming on for Derek Wright for the east enders and Anthony Webb replacing Francis who had gone off moments earlier after taking a knock on the head.

Within two minutes Webb netted from close range after meeting a cross from the right by Nakia Smith, the move having started with Anthony Thomas' pass to the flank.

Despite the three goal deficit, St. George's looked determined to at least get on the scoresheet. Sinclair Gibbons put a free kick against the crossbar with Winslow Williams in the Wolves goal beaten.

Then, at the other end, Dean Bailey, captain in the absence of Marlon Outerbidge, cleared off his line after Peniston's good run down the left flank resulted in his cross almost being deflected into goal.

Williams preserved his clean sheet with a one-handed save to a Gregg Foggo shot after a ball through the defence set up Foggo. He beat the advancing `keeper to the ball only to see his effort turned around for a corner.

Soon after a ball into the box from a David Signor free kick beat both Wolves defenders and their goalkeeper, with substitute Williams just failing to connect with his outstretched leg at the far post. The two incidents had Williams screaming at his defence for sloppy marking, but the points keep their survival hopes alive as they moved level on points with Somerset and Dandy Town.

St. George's: T.Hall; D.Signor, D.Wright (K.Williams 57 mins), N.Paynter, D.Bailey, M.Crane (D.Maynard 40 mins), E.Signor, T.Smith, G.Foggo, Y.Pitt (R.Steede 62 mins), S.Gibbons.

Wolves: W.Williams; J.Simmons, T.Trott, J.Douglas, T.Davis, A.Thomas, M.Ray (S.Augustus 78 mins), J.Peniston, J.Francis (A.Webb 57 mins), N.Smith, V.Minors.

Bookings: None

Men of the match: N.Paynter (St. George's), A.Thomas (Wolves).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.