Fulham suffered a third consecutive defeat on Wednesday evening when Wolverhampton Wanderers left Craven Cottage with a 1-0 win.

Bakary Sako hit the game’s only goal after 15 minutes when he clinically finished off a well rehearsed corner routine.

The Whites did their best to create chances and get back into the game, but a firm Ross McCormack shot that just cleared the crossbar was the closest they came to an equaliser.

The visitors could have wrapped things up in stoppage time when they were awarded a penalty, but Fulham goalkeeper Jesse Joronen made a brilliant save to push Sako’s kick onto the post.

As he has done in each of our previous matches so far this season, Felix Magath handed a couple of players their debuts, with left-back Sean Kavanagh named in the starting XI alongside midfielder Mark Fotheringham. Patrick Roberts also made a first start for the Club.

The Whites made a bright start to the game, with Cauley Woodrow, Patrick Roberts and McCormack allowing the Wolves backline no time on the ball at all. The first major incident of note, though, came when Kavanagh was harshly booked on eight minutes for a late challenge on Rajiv van La Parra.

Fotheringham then followed his fellow debutant into the referee’s book with a challenge that certainly merited a yellow when he wiped out Sako.

Fulham hearts were in mouths when a long ball forward looked to have sent van La Parra through on goal, but Joronen read the danger well and beat the winger to the ball to punch away the danger.

The visitors took the lead after quarter of an hour courtesy of a neatly taken corner. The low set-piece was passed into the box by Scott Golbourne and dummied by Dave Edwards as Sako ran in to convert a smart first time finish inside the near post.

Edwards found some space on the edge of the box shortly after the half hour mark, but Scott Parker showed typical determination to close him down and block the shot from 20 yards.

Wolves almost doubled their lead on 39 minutes when a wicked inswinging free-kick from Sako was met by the rising Danny Batth, but the visiting captain directed his header marginally wide of the far post.

Magath waited just five minutes after half-time to bring on his first substitute, and it was an attacking one – Moussa Dembélé replacing Fotheringham. The switch saw McCormack take up a wide-left position, with Kostas Stafylidis moving into a central role alongside Parker.

The Frenchman almost made an immediate impact, too, collecting McCormack’s lay-off and drawing a first save of the game from Carl Ikeme with a low effort from the edge of the box.

With 57 minutes on the clock, Wolves missed a golden chance to double the lead. Kevin McDonald clipped in a delightful cross but full-back Matt Doherty got under the ball and headed over from close range.

The hour mark saw the Whites go as close as they’d gone all game. A tricky run by Roberts was halted 20 yards from goal with the loose ball sitting up nicely for McCormack, but the striker’s well struck effort whistled an inch over the bar.

It was end to end stuff under the floodlights, with Sako and Woodrow then each missing the target with speculative attempts at either end.

Van La Parra cut inside with 66 minutes played before unleashing a left-footed shot which drew a ripple from the side-netting as it narrowly missed the target.

The Dutch winger had impressed in parts during the game and his direct running drew a foul from Stafylidis on 74 minutes – earning the Greek a yellow card.

With just under 10 minutes remaining, Magath made another substitution, this time like for like as Woodrow made way for Hugo Rodallega. And the final change wasn’t long afterwards as one debutant was replaced by another – Ryan Williams coming on for Kavanagh.

Fulham put pressure on the West Midlands outfit as they pushed for an equaliser but their hopes were seemingly extinguished when the visitors were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Nouha Dicko was felled by Cameron Burgess in the box.

Joronen, though, made a superb fingertip stop to push Sako’s spot-kick onto the post to at least give the home faithful something to cheer.