Wolves were unable to build on their dramatic midweek victory at Bristol City as they were held to a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Wrexham.
Adam Armstrong’s well-taken first-half goal had put César Peixoto’s side in front, but a disappointing defensive lapse allowed Lewis O’Brien to level for the hosts.
It was a frantic afternoon with chances at both ends, although Wolves will feel they never quite got to grips with a game that was far too open for their liking.
Peixoto made a host of changes following Wednesday night’s heroics, but his side struggled to find the control and rhythm that has been a feature of their better performances this season.
The visitors should have taken the lead when Armstrong did brilliantly to create an opening for Mane, only for the youngster to waste a glorious opportunity.
Thankfully for Wolves, they didn’t have long to wait.
Just two minutes later, Nasser Djiga picked out Armstrong with an excellent long ball and the striker showed all his experience and composure to finish beyond the onrushing goalkeeper.
It was a fine goal and another reminder of Armstrong’s importance to this Wolves side, particularly in a game where several of his attacking teammates struggled to make an impact.
But the lead didn’t last.
Wolves failed to get tight enough to prevent a cross into the box and O’Brien was allowed to sneak between Ladislav Krejci and Djiga to equalise.
It was a poor goal to concede, with neither defender covering themselves in glory, and summed up a first half in which Wolves looked unusually vulnerable.
The second period followed a similar pattern, with neither side able to take complete control.
Rodrigo Gomes had been largely anonymous and was eventually replaced by Rafiki Said, who immediately offered more energy and attacking intent.
Mane, meanwhile, continued to frustrate. There was no shortage of effort or willingness to get involved, but his final ball and decision-making let him down on too many occasions.
Fer Lopez also endured a quiet afternoon, with Wolves lacking the creativity and quality in the final third to turn promising situations into clear opportunities.
And they were nearly punished late on.
Kieffer Moore had a glorious chance to win it for Wrexham, although the striker appeared to be in an offside position. With no VAR in the Championship, any goal would have stood had the officials allowed play to continue.
It was a let-off for Wolves, who ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils.
After the emotion of Wednesday night’s stunning comeback, this was a very different test of Peixoto’s side.
Wrexham had beaten league leaders Middlesbrough in midweek and showed exactly why they are capable of causing problems for the Championship’s leading sides.
Wolves were far from their best, particularly in possession, and too many of their attacking players failed to deliver when it mattered.
The challenge now is to rediscover the attacking fluency after the international break.
Good god this is a poor league. We have no control in midfield and we’re struggling to impose control on games. I don’t know if it’s because in this league other sides see us as a big scalp to take so raise their game but still we’re only scraping through most games.
Our superpower is our strength in depth. I know the games come thick and fast but I’d be tempted to start our best team on a regular basis and make changes later. This seems to be how we play best and only playing an hour will save some legs.
copy and paste after every game selected “ Mane was ineffective and frustratingly poor “ Said offers so much more dynamism and can actually go past a defender. Kredci and Djiga stand outs despite Wrexhams goal. Doyle played well I thought. Sa is a worry.