Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Olofinjana 86

Argyle 0

THIS was never really meant to be Argyle's day. There was a party going on up and down the country, but the Pilgrims were not invited.

Instead this Bank Holiday weekend Sunday afternoon belonged to Stoke and Sheffields Wednesday and United; to Hull and Holloway; to Palace, Watford, and Ipswich; to Saints, Sky Blues and Seasiders; to Wolves.

In short, to everyone but the ten sides who began the day knowing they would be competing in a Championship already made more competitive next season by the inclusion of Swans and Rams, not to mention Forest.

With Bristol City assured of a play-off place, and Colchester and Scunthorpe exiting the division at the opposite end, half the sides in England's ultra-competitive second tier began the day with something to play for.

Argyle manager Paul Sturrock popped in to Molineux slap in between scouting missions to four different European countries and sprang a notable selectorial change to the 11 that had started against Blackpool eight days earlier and ended the home season on a high with a 3-0 victory.

Péter Halmosi's uncertain knee caused him to be omitted, with Chris Clark moving up from right-back to the flank position on the same side. With Jim Paterson's bad back precluding his participation, Mathias Kouo-Doumbe fulfilled the full-back role in a needs-must scenario.

Gary Teale, who, like centre-back Russell Anderson, has now ended his loan spell at Home Park, was included on the substitutes' bench.

Wolves, too, showed one change to the line-up that had started the previous weekend's 1-1 draw at Coventry, with Darron Gibson giving way to Karl Henry (Wolves always seem to have a player called Karl Henry - unless there is a portrait of him in the Molineux boardoom growing gradually older).

A cracking Black Country atmosphere helped propel Wolves forward from the get-go, and Green hearts had to be stout.

Not that the home side managed to get close enough to truly trouble Luke McCormick, although their young striker, a whippersnapper called Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, showed some promise.

The game pulsed into life midway through the half when the game suddenly opened up and became counter and counter again: Wolves had a chance when Gary Sawyer's clearance rebounded off Ebanks-Blake's backside for Michael Kightly, who snatched his shot wide.

The home side appealed for a penalty when Sawyer brushed off Kightly before Argyle fashioned an opportunity for Rory Fallon, who fired into the side-netting.

Argyle's resistance, and goals at Selhurst and St Mary's, quietened the ardour, and ensured Wolves were kept largely at arms' length.

After a relatively quiet period, the two minutes of added time were full of incident.

Wolves midfielder Seyi Olofinjana, a bull of a man and the eventual match-winner, strode down to the bye-line and squeezed in a grasscutter of a cross that evaded McCormick at the near post. However, Andy Keogh took a swing and a miss and Matt Jarvis arrived late, and the ball dribbled to safety.

Fallon's persistence then won Argyle a corner which saw Wayne Hennessey, by common consent, the best goalkeeper in the Championship, spill the ball but Argyle could not take advantage and a defensive punt saw Kouo-Doumbe struggle to contain Ebanks-Blake.

The first half ended with the outstanding Anderson again owning Ebanks-Blake, and Argyle's defensive prowess keeping Wolves out of the hunt for a play-off place.

Argyle began the second period with Steve MacLean in place of Jermaine Easter, who had not enjoyed the best 45 minutes of his life, up front.

Wolves continued to press, and Ebanks-Blake unselfishly tried to play in Keogh, but the Irishman somehow managed to hit a seated Kouo-Doumbe.

Then left-winger Jamie Mackie, who was just behind Anderson as Argyle's most effective player, linked well with Sawyer for a shot that was only narrowly wide.

Then the former Exeter man linked superbly with MacLean, who had drifted off on to the left wing to provide a cross that Mackie got his nut on but the ball went straight to Hennessey.

Ipswich going in front against Hull further dented the hopes of the Molineux faithful, who then saw Matt Jarvis waste a well-crafted opening by shooting straight at the Beast, who was looking more and more indestructible by the minute.

That was shattered a few minutes later when he was caught by George Elokobi, somewhere near the eye, in a clash of heads that saw a lot of claret spilt, a lot of treatment, and the big man leave the field on a stretcher with his head in a brace. Get well soon, big man.

Kouo-Doumbe moved into centre-defence, with Jimmy Abdou moving to right-back and Yoann Folly filling the void in midfield.

Suddenly, the result became even less important all round.

Olofinjana broke the deadlock with six minutes left, which did not produce as much of a cheer as when, well?when something happened somewhere else. What, though?

Summerfield nearly levelled in the second minute of eight added on for the Beast's departure but in the end it was to be no-one's day. Not at Molineux, for sure.

It's been a blast. See you next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-4-2): 31 Wayne Hennessey, 32 Kevin Foley (19 Stephen Elliott 89), 6 Jody Craddock, 5 Gary Breen (capt), 40 George Elokobi; 7 Michael Kightly (33 Michael Gray 85), 4 Seyi Olofinjana, 24 Darron Gibson, 17 Matt Jarvis; 9 Andy Keogh (23 Freddy Eastwood 60), 27 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Substitutes (not used): 3 Neil Collins, 25 Graham Stack (gk).

Booked: Henry 53.

Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 13 Mathias Kouo-Doumbe, 5 Krisztián Timár (capt, 8 Yoann Folly 75), 21 Russell Anderson, 18 Gary Sawyer; 6 Chris Clark (7 Gary Teale 64), 26 Jimmy Abdou, 20 Luke Summerfield, 26 Jamie Mackie; 14 Rory Fallon, 36 Jermaine Easter (9 Steve MacLean half-time). Substitutes (not used): 1 Romain Larrieu, 30 Dan Smith.

Booked: Easter 21, Kouo-Doumbe 34, Anderson 57, Fallon 77.

Referee: Mike Pike.

Attendance: 26,000 est.