MICK McCARTHY made no secret of what he expects from his Wolves players, nothing but victory will do, and he is not concerned about the aesthetics of it. “Play well and win – that’s football utopia. However, you can’t always have both and winning without playing well is definitely the second best result,” he wrote in his programme notes. His players took his wishes to heart yesterday and had goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to thank for keeping three vital points.

Taking your shirt off on the field may lead to a yellow card, but when 12 Wolves players posed topless for a charity calendar they risked more then a referee’s wrath. It was all well and good to take part in a special calendar to kick-start a fund-raising appeal for the Broadmea-dow Nursery School for Special Needs Children near Molineux when you are winning. When things are not going that well on the pitch, having your picture taken as a seminaked calendar boys can bring some less then charitable comments from fans and a hot reception at away games. On a cold day in the Black Country the Wolves models look exposed for much of the game.

Wolves were lucky to beat Colchester in midweek, thanks mainly to the performance of Wales international Hennessey.

The opening of the match yesterday indicated that McCarthy’s players are willing to do everything they need to win. Freddy Eastwood hit the post from seven yards on three minutes, but a minute later it was the visitors who came nearer to scoring. Liam Chilvers netted from close range after a free kick only for the referees’s assistant to rule it out for offside. While Preston’s players, not realising the decision had gone against them, were still celebrating in the Wolves box, the hosts restarted the game and only a fine save from Preston keeper Andy Lonergan denied Eastwood and prevented a major controversy.

More chances followed, the best one to Preston’s Callum Davidson, who missed from five yards on 16 minutes, while Eastwood completed a hat-trick of missed opportunities a minute later.

Although Preston lost both new manager Alan Irvine’s first two games, while Wolves were undefeated in five, once the match settled down it was Preston who dominated, with constant pressure from the right side of midfield. To the growing discontent of their fans, Wolves lost the ball easily, looked flat and sat back for most of the half. Again, they had Hennessey to thank for most of the game.

For the home second game running, Wolves looked ordinary and disjointed. While Preston’s midfield controlled the game, they failed to pose a real threat most of the time and missed the few opportunities they had.

The second half started in the same pattern but on 55 minutes Karl Henry, the Wolves captain, advanced unmarked through central midfield and scored with a shot to the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards and brought Molineux alive.

The game became more balanced and when Hennessey saved a close-range shot by Neil Mellor, a Preston substitute, on 72 minute it looked like another second best result for Mccarthy’s boys. Andy Carroll, who also came off the bench, also came close in the final seconds but after a second unconvincing 1-0 win, Wolves’ promotion bid is back on track while Preston, last season’s playoff losers, and Irvine, can take some encouragement from their performance but not much more.

Star man:Wayne Hennessey (Wolves)

Player ratings: Wolves:Hennessey 8, Foley 6, D Ward 6, Collins 6, Gray 5, Gibson 5 (Jarvis 57min, 5), Olofinjana 7, Henry 7, S Ward 6, Elliott 6 (Keogh 75min), Eastwood 5 (Potter 82min)

Preston:Lonergan 5, St Ledger 6, Mawene 6, Hill 5, Chilvers 6, Davidson 5, McKenna 5, Sedgwick 7, Whaley 6, Omerod 5 (Mellor 62min), Agyemang 6 (Carroll 77min)

Scorer: Wolves:Henry 55

Referee:A D’Urso Attendance:22,836