Preston 1-3 Wolves: Hat-trick hero Iwelumo is no sinner

As Red cards go, it looked pretty nailed on.

Soon after completing a hattrick on 72 minutes, Chris Iwelumo tangled with Preston defender Sean St Ledger.

The lofty Wolves striker then appeared to head butt his opponent and was dismissed by referee Martin Atkinson.

StLedger, however, has given the ref crucial testimony which could see the decision get rescinded. Iwelumo said: "Saints has come in with me to the referee's room at the end of the match and told him that there was no forward movement from myself. I've never been sent off in my life and had about 10 yellow cards in my whole career. It's not in my nature. It was just an accidental collision and the ref has said he will look at it, so hopefully I will be playing against Bristol City next week."

Mick McCarthy, too, was sent to the stands at half-time.

His crime was applauding Atkinson off the field at the interval as both men left the field to a torrent of abuse from Preston fans. "When you've played in Turkey you don't get intimidated by coming and playing at Preston," said Macca.

"I was hoping the referee wouldn't be intimidated by the atmosphere, either. But by my show of support for him, perhaps, I incited the crowd. If I did anything to upset him I apologise, he certainly didn't get any abuse from me, all he got was a round of applause.

But I'll save that for other people in future."

The dismissals of their manager, striker and keeper Wayne Hennessey late-on in the game, did not take anything from a five-star Wolves display.

The searing pace and variety of their attacks confirmed their status as the division's top team as they inflicted the first defeat of the season on Alan Irvine's team. Neil Mellor's injury-time penalty against centre-back Jason Shackell, who replaced Hennessey in goal, was the one lapse in their dominance.

Iwelumo opened the scoring on 36 minutes with a superb hooked overhead kick and claimedthe second from closerange when he finished off a flowing Wolves move.

Hetook his tally to eight goals for the season when he completed his hat-trick on 72 minutes after the irresistible Michael Kightly was crudely brought down by Billy Jones.

Mellor hit out at the ref for refusing to give a penalty after four minutes when his effort hit Richard Stearman's arm and his second-half goal was disallowed for a Jon Parkin foul.

He said: "If the ref gives the handball, he's got to send the lad off and we've got a chance to score from the penalty spot."

Preston: Lonergan 7, Jones 6, Mawene 6, St. Ledger 5, Hart 5, Nicholson 7, McKenna 8 (Whaley 77), Carter 6d, Sedgwick 5 (Wallace 64, 6), Mellor 6, Parkin 6 (Elliott 69, 6). Goal: Mellor (90pen)
Wolves: Hennessey 6d, Foley 6, Collins 7, Stearman 7, Stephen Ward 6, Kightly 9d, D Jones 6 d (Edwards 69, 6), Henry 7, Jarvis 8 (Shackell 89), Iwelumo 8d, Ebanks-Blake 7 (Keogh 61, 8).
Goals: Iwelumo (36, 66. 72pen)
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Attendance: 17,567

MAN OF THE MATCH
Michael Kightly (WOLVES) 9
In devastating form on the right wing

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH
Chris Iwelumo (WOLVES) 8
Marred his hat-trick day with a red card

NEXT THREE GAMES
PRESTON
Sat Sep 27: Burnley (a) Champs
Tue Sep 30: Swansea (h) Champs
Sat Oct 4: Watford (a) Champs

WOLVES
Sat Sep 27: Bristol C (h) Champs
Tue Sep 30: Reading (h) Champs
Sat Oct 4: Swansea (a) Champs