Sean Neave came off the bench to net a late brace, sealing Wolves’ 2-1 comeback at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City struck first in the 34th minute when Scott Twine, after being fouled 25 yards out, unleashed a curling right‑footed free‑kick that beat Jose Sa’s dive and landed in the top corner.
Wolves piled on pressure after the break and earned a breakthrough in the 82nd minute when Kieran Trippier’s right‑wing cross was met by Adam Armstrong; his shot was saved, and Neave seized the rebound.
Just six minutes later Neave headed home from close range after Ladislav Krejci flicked a Trippier free‑kick into the box.
Wolves deserved the win and climbed to second place, while the Robins fought hard but were left with a cruel defeat.
City manager Michael Skubala tweaked his XI, bringing on striker Sam Bell and midfielder Scott Twine, whereas Wolves introduced Jean‑Ricner Bellegarde for the injured Jordan James.
Until Twine’s spectacular strike, the only fireworks had been the pre‑match entertainment.
Wolves looked sharper in the opening half‑hour, yet their sole chance was an Adam Armstrong shot comfortably saved by Brad Collins.
Lorent Tolaj headed wide from a 29th‑minute Rio Cardines cross, and City’s other attacks also sputtered.
The goal seemed to lift Skubala’s side, who pressed harder for the rest of the half but failed to carve clear chances.
Wolves launched the second half with intent, crowding the end where their travelling supporters gathered, and looked set to equalise in the 57th minute.
Substitute Rodrigo Gomes, brought on for the head‑injured Marshall Munetsi, broke forward but hesitated, only to be denied by a superb recovery tackle from Cam Pring.
Brad Collins fumbled a low Rafiki Said strike at 61 minutes, then smothered Armstrong’s rebound.
Wolves fashioned another chance four minutes later as Bellegarde rose to meet a Trippier corner, only to see his header parried by the diving Collins.
City threatened on the break, and Wolves boss César Peixoto responded with a triple substitution in the 73rd minute, sending on Mateus Mane, Neave and Tommy Doyle for Said, Fer López and Bellegarde.
The change paid off; City had late chances from Dom Ballard and Tolaj, but Neave’s opportunistic double settled the score.
The managers
Bristol City’s Michael Skubala:
“We took a sucker punch. When you’re 80 minutes up against a strong side, you have to learn from it.”
“As a group we must defend better. Our goals looked soft and we could have been stronger to stop the second.”
“We also made poor decisions in the opponent’s half and were loose on the ball.”
“Cam Pring’s recovery tackle helped us, but the chance came from our own error; we need to improve that.”
“There were positives, yet we didn’t finish the job and must take the lessons forward.”
“Now we have another home game against Norwich on Saturday. It would be dishonest to claim our home form isn’t a concern; we must bounce back.”
Wolves’ César Peixoto:
“The squad showed character and soul to win. They believed to the end, and so did our fans, who stuck with us while we were a goal down – that mattered greatly.”
“We earned what we deserved. We created many chances from the wings in the first half but failed to finish them often enough.”
“They scored from their sole shot after we dominated possession, yet we didn’t move the ball quickly enough – a point we discussed at half‑time.”
“In the second half the players responded to the instructions, acting faster. The supporters played their part and the result belongs to them too.”
“Sean Neave is a young player taking his first steps in professional football; those goals will boost him. He has plenty of ability, stays humble and puts the team first.”
“It was a tough match as we had to push right to the final whistle. Now we’ll look after the squad and help them recover for the next game, which comes swiftly.”