Pressman sent for earliest ever bath

Ketsbaia is congratulated after opening the scoring

Wolves 1-1 Sheff Wed

Kevin Pressman entered the record books at Molineux as he earned the fastest red card in English football history.

The Sheffield Wednesday keeper was sent off for handling outside the area after his side's new season was just 13 seconds old.

Wolves took advantage of their numerical superiority when Temuri Ketsbaia scored on his competitive debut.

But Wednesday's 10 men, in their first match since relegation from the Premiership last May, will have impressed new manager Paul Jewell by battling back to salvage a point through Andy Booth's late equaliser.

First-minute fireworks

The match got off to an explosive start when Wolves midfielder Kevin Muscat played a superb ball to Ketsbaia in the opening attack, and Pressman spread himself outside the box to prevent a certain goal.

Referee Mark Halsey was left with no option as Pressman had handled the ball, and the Owls keeper disconsolately trudged off towards the dressing room.

Wednesday may have been wearing all white, but they refused to surrender though and reorganised themselves well after the early blow.

However, there was nothing they could do after 17 minutes when a brilliant three-man set-piece from Wolves broke the deadlock.

Simon Osbourne looked set to touch the ball to Lee Naylor, but laid the ball to Ketsbaia instead, and the former Newcastle man shot into the top corner of the net from 22 yards.

Scrambled

Former Owls man Andy Sinton almost doubled the lead two minutes later when his deflected cross hit the post and was scrambled clear by Des Walker.

Sinton came close again after 33 minutes when he cut inside Simon Grayson and shot narrowly over the bar from just outside the box.

Two minutes later the Molineux crowd witnessed another controversial moment when another strike from Ketsbaia from a free-kick was disallowed because Alan Quinn broke from the wall.

Referee Halsey enforced the new 10 yard rule, but the retake came to nothing and Ketsbaia fired wide of the target.

Wednesday continued to frustrate the home side and almost levelled the match just before the interval when Giles De Bilde turned inside the box and brought a superb save from Michael Oakes.

Quinn followed up with another strike from the rebound, and although his shot beat Oakes, Julian Lescott blocked on the six-yard line.

Unease

The visitors caused some unease in the Wolves defence five minutes after the break De Bilde just failed to connect with a free-kick from Andy Hinchcliffe.

Michael Branch had the ball in the Owls net after 57 minutes, but he had strayed offside when he connected Ketsbaia's flick.

Wednesday looked more comfortable as the game wore on and after Wolves survived another scare Wim Jonk's corner was headed home by Andy Booth 12 minutes from time.

Wolves attempted to step-up a gear but they had lost their momentum, and Wednesday looked more likely to win the match in the latter stages.

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Teams:

Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Naylor, Pollet, Emblen, Bazeley, Osborn, Ketsbaia, Branch, Sinton, Lescott.

Subs: Robinson, Sedgley, Taylor, Camara, Murray.

Sheff Wed: Pressman, Haslam, Hinchcliffe, Jonk, Grayson, Walker, Quinn, Booth, De Bilde, Cresswell, Westwood.

Subs: Sibon, Hamshaw, Di Piedi, Humphreys, Stringer.

Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City)