Wolves 1-0 Norwich City

Wolves only lost two League One matches at home last season

Dave Edwards scored the decisive goal as Wolves started life back in the Championship with a victory against 10-man Norwich at Molineux.

The Canaries, relegated from the Premier League last season, had Martin Olsson sent off for a second yellow card for a tug on Rajiv van La Parra.

Olsson appeared to push referee Simon Hooper after being shown the red card and may face further punishment.

Edwards headed in Van La Parra's cross just after the hour to earn the win.

Wolves manager Kenny Jackett believes his team can secure successive promotions after returning to the second tier after back-to-back relegations. And beating a team relegated from the top flight was an impressive way to start the season.

Neil Adams, who took over at Norwich with five games remaining, is still looking for a first win in charge of the Canaries and will be concerned about his team's lack of attacking bite, even when they had 11 men.

They were on the back foot from the start, with Edwards thumping over from a cross from Bakary Sako after just 23 seconds.

Norwich's Nathan Redmond slipped away from two defenders and dragged an effort wide in the visitors' only effort on goal.

Sako always looked like Wolves' greatest threat and the Frenchman had a powerful shot deflected past the near post by Russell Martin just before the break.

Nouha Dicko broke forward and drove well over the bar for the hosts just after the restart before Wes Hoolahan missed from 25 yards at the other end.

Norwich debutant Lewis Grabban got on the end of a long clearance and his shot from a narrow angle was pushed wide by goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

The decisive spell came just before the hour when Van La Parra tore past Olsson and was dragged over by the left-back on the edge of the area, with the Norwich left-back being sent off for a second yellow card.

Sako thumped the resulting free-kick straight at Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy but the visitors were behind four minutes later after going down to 10 men.

The impressive Dutch winger Van La Parra, who joined from Heerenveen in June, found space on the right and sent over a curling cross that was headed past Ruddy by Edwards.

Wolves should have killed the game with 11 minutes remaining when Dicko broke quickly only to delay his pass for Sako, whose shot was blocked by Ruddy.

Wolves boss Kenny Jackett said: "First off it is a good win and a good day for the club.

"Pressure builds up through pre-season and everyone wants to get to that first day and to get a win on the first day is a big thing. With us coming into a new division that is great.

"But looking past that there are different types of challenges. You could see the way that Norwich defended their goal was very good and it was an excellent goal that won the game.

Norwich manager Neil Adams added: "I haven't seen the incident between Martin Olsson and referee Simon Hooper and hopefully there is nothing in it. But we will have a look at it and see what it is and if there are any consequences from that.

"I will speak to Martin about that. Of course I will. I didn't see it because as soon as the card comes out you're looking away to what you are going to do.

"The officials have said nothing to us about any alleged hands on and like I say I have not seen it for now. We will get the footage going back on the coach."