Wolves celebrated their entry into the Dudley Eve Trophy for the first time last night at Somerset with victory over the Red Devils that moves them into the winners' bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

Ellington Weldon clinched the hard fought battle with the game's only goal five minutes into the second half. The goal came at the end of a couple of stoppages, the first when Village's Sergio Goater and Anthony Thomas of Wolves both needed treatment inside the Wolves penalty area after a collision.

Goater was eventually taken off with a leg injury and replaced by Kevin Jennings.

A couple of minutes later play was stopped again, this time for about 10 minutes when Joey Rego blasted the ball into the corner flag pole and snapped it. Eventually a replacement pole was found and upon resumption, Wolves struck to break the deadlock.

An initial shot on goal was blocked as Dwayne Adams in the Village goal was wrong-footed and Weldon seized on the rebound to drive a low shot into the far bottom corner.

Despite a host of chances after that Village could not produce the equaliser as the Wolves defence, marshalled by Joey Rego and Leonard Hypolite, absorbed tremendous pressure.

Wolves, too, were still creating chances as the game remained wide open with only that one goal separating the teams. Randy Spence of Village was booked for fouling Nathan Webb as he raced through on the right after a long ball upfield.

Then Webb's shot just missed the far post with the sliding Khari Sharrieff just failing to apply the vital touch. At the other end Rego had his name taken for fouling Elliott Jennings on the edge of the box as the striker threatened.

One of Village's best chances of the match fell as early as the 12th minute when Jennings and Neil Robinson combined on the left with Jennings sending Robinson racing down the touchline with a return pass.

But there was no Village player up with the play when Robinson supplied a cross into the six-yard. The ball went untouched across the face of the goal.

Robinson then curled a shot wide of the near post midway through the half as Village held a slight upper hand. Wolves came more into the match late in the first half as Adams was tested by a shot from Peter Sampson that bounced in front of Adams before he smothered it. Spence was quick to boot the loose ball clear.

The win assures Wolves of at least a third game in the tournament while Village now face a dor-or-die situation on Boxing Day at Southampton Oval.

Village: D.Adams; M.Hansey, K.Dill, J.Thomas, R.Spence, D.Jennings, S.Goater (K.Jennings 47 mins), J.Boyles (G.Edness 72 mins), J.Jennings, E.Jennings, N.Robinson (D.Brangman 68 mins).

Wolves: H.Brown; T.Trott, J.Rergo, L.Hypolite, A.Thomas, P.Sampson (R.Nesbitt 88 mins), T.Davis, N.Smith (D.Wainwright 65 mins), N.Webb (V.Minors 79 mins), K.Sharrieff, E.Weldon.

Referee: Stuart Crockwell Men of the match: Jemeiko Jennings (Village), Joey Rego (Wolves).