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Wolves boss Dave Jones paid tribute to the mental resilience of his players after watching them finally claim their first Premiership win at the eighth attempt.
Colin Cameron secured Wolves' first win in the English top flight since May 1984 with a header 15 minutes from the end against a subdued Manchester City.
"We had the determination to put things right today and it was down to hard graft from the players," said a relieved Jones.
"It wasn't so much getting the three points today, it was the manner in which we won the game.
"Every player who put a shirt on deserves credit because people around here were beginning to get a bit desperate and this takes that away."
After coming so close at Bolton last week, where they eventually drew, Jones admitted he could not underestimate the importance of gaining the three points going into the two-week international break. Ticketmaster
He added: "We
could not miss that opportunity today. It was probably a must-win game because
it was about confidence.
"It was a great team effort which has sent all the fans home with a feelgood
factor. Now we have to do it again and again until the end of the season."
City boss Kevin Keegan, who saw his side squander the opportunity to move into the top four, was at a loss to explain a lacklustre display.
"We didn't have anything today and we have got to be better than that with the talent we have got in our side.
"Fair dues to Wolves because they battled and scrapped and they're going to have to do that every week.
"It is very disappointing to lose but I feel much better about losing when we have played well.
"Today we didn't play well and we thought we might get a draw because it didn't look like a goal was coming. Ticketmaster
"It was a poor game but I'm not knocking Wolves. They got the three points and they probably deserved them."
Goalkeeper Michael Oakes was almost as much of a hero as Cameron with a brilliant low save which denied Sun Jihai an injury time equaliser for City.
Antoine Sibierski came close for City with a lob on the hour and Paulo Wanchope struck the outside of the post with eight minutes to go.
But Jihai's late blast apart, that was the sum total of the chances for Kevin Keegan's men.
Cameron's winner came off a Henri Camara's cross. The Scottish midfielder gave David Seaman no chance with his header but the former England goalkeeper had been at fault for spilling Camara's first cross which David Sommeil booted back to the African.
Wolves held out in a torrid final few minutes with Wanchope hitting the outside of Oakes' post then Jihai forcing the goalkeeper's best save of the afternoon in injury time.