Seyi Olofinjana's late winner against Plymouth at Molineux was not enough as Wolves agonisingly missed out on a place in the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.

The Nigerian raced through after 87 minutes to clip coolly over Luke McCormick in the Argyle goal but Crystal Palace's win over Burnley and Watford's point at Blackpool meant they were edged out of the top six on goal difference.

Frustratingly, they could easily have scored the extra two goals required with Michael Kightly and Andy Keogh particularly culpable for spurning golden opportunities on what proved to be a desperately disappointing end to the season for Mick McCarthy's side, who finished in seventh position.

Both managers made one change to their teams, Karl Henry returning for Wanderers and Matt Doumbe drafted in for their opponents.

McCarthy's pre-match team talk certainly appeared to have them fired up as they went straight on the offensive, pinning Argyle into their own penalty area.

Matt Jarvis accelerated down the left channel and sent in a pinpoint delivery under the crossbar but Plymouth skipper Krisztian Timar came to their rescue, heading over his own bar with the Wanderers' attack ready to pounce.

It was one-way traffic as the home side pushed for an opener, which Kightly should have given them.

Keogh's shot was cleared only for the ball to deflect off Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to the unmarked Kightly at the back post but the winger slipped at the crucial moment and skewed his effort wide.

Two minutes later the visitors mustered their first opportunity, Rory Fallon selfishly firing into the side-netting from an acute angle when better positioned to pass.

The Wanderers fans' anxieties began to translate to the players with the game increasingly punctuated by loose passes and sloppy errors.

However, they almost took the lead moments before the break when Keogh connected with Olofinjana's low cross only for the ball to creep beyond the far post.

It did not appear to be the Irishman's day as he came within inches of opening the scoring early on in the second period.

Kightly threaded through Olofinjana down the right and his cross was cleared against Keogh, however again it trickled past the post.

Jamie Mackie drilled an effort wide in a rare foray forward from the visitors and the striker had an even better chance soon afterwards, only to head straight at Wayne Hennessey.

Ebanks-Blake, unusually quiet against his former employers, slid in Kightly on the right side of the area but his cross-shot neither found the target nor the advancing Keogh.

Freddy Eastwood was handed a chance to be the hero with 25 minutes remaining as a replacement for Keogh but the Wales international dragged his one and only chance wide of the post.

While Wanderers' effort could not be faulted, they lacked penetration and the crowd again began to grow restless with time running out.

There was a lengthy delay for treatment to Timar after an accidental head collision with Olofinjana which led to the Plymouth captain being carried off on a stretcher.

Finally, the gloom was briefly lifted when Olofinjana clipped home but despite eight minutes of added time they failed to score the two goals required to leapfrog the Hornets.

Teams:

Wolverhampton Hennessey, Foley (Elliott 89), Breen, Craddock,Elokobi, Kightly (Gray 85), Olofinjana, Henry, Jarvis,Keogh (Eastwood 65), Ebanks-Blake.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Collins.

Booked: Henry.

Goals: Olofinjana 87.

Plymouth McCormick, Doumbe, Timar (Folly 79), Anderson,Sawyer, Clark (Teale 69), Abdou, Summerfield, Mackie, Fallon,Easter (MacLean 46).

Subs Not Used: Larrieu, Smith.

Booked: Easter, Doumbe, Anderson, Fallon.

Att: 26,293

Ref: Mike Pike (Cumbria).