Substitute Dean Crowe plundered a deserved injury-time equaliser for struggling Stoke - and sparked a chorus of boos among frustrated Wolves supporters.

Ninety-one minutes were showing on the clock when Crowe drove hard and low through a crowded goalmouth from 15 yards after Peter Thorne had headed back a deep right wing corner from Danny Tiatto.

Although Carl Robinson might still have won it for Wolves with a header seconds later that the veteran Neville Southall saved superbly, the home side and particularly manager Mark McGhee suffered the full anger of their fans at the final whistle.

Chants of "what a load of rubbish" echoed noisily round Molineux as Wolves continued their slide from top six material to outsiders in the race for the play-offs.

Yet Wolves had looked set for maximum points as they dominated the first half and took the lead with a fortunate goal.

There seemed little danger as Dougie Freedman picked up the ball near the corner of the penalty area and fed in a low cross which eluded Wolves' strikers but sneaked in low at the far post with a startled Southall motionless.

That 23rd minute breakthrough might have been the first of several goals but the recalled Steve Bull failed to control when Mark Atkins' through ball released him and Simon Osborn twice went close.

Stoke, still seeking their first win in Chris Kamara's nine-match reign, were dangerous in breakaways in the first half and Atkins had to tidy up from near the foot of the post from Peter Thorne, who then capitalised on the mistake by Wolves skipper Keith Curle to get in a shot that was superbly blocked by Hans Segers.

Segers was making his first team debut for Wolves 20 months on from his arrival on a free transfer and he looked set to mark his inclusion ahead of illness victim Mike Stowell with a clean sheet.

He held a rasping drive from Graham Kavanagh and also denied Richard Forsyth from close range.

Stoke were well on top in the second half but lacked a cutting edge although Paul Holsgrove was twice narrowly off target from outside the area and Thorne failed with a close range header.

Bull, starting his first game since November 8, might have secured Wolves' win when he brought a tremendous reflex save from Southall, having also tested the keeper with a first half chip.

Teams:

Wolverhampton: Segers, Atkins, Naylor, Simpson, Richards, Curle, Keane (Muscat 70), Robinson, Bull, Freedman (Paatelainen 77), Osborn.

Subs Not Used: Murray.

Booked: Osborn.

Goals: Freedman 22.

Stoke: Southall, Pickering (Crowe 67), Tiatto, Sigurdsson, Whittle, Holsgrove (McNally 82), Forsyth, Wallace, Thorne, Lightbourne, Kavanagh.

Subs Not Used: Heath.

Booked: Tiatto.

Goals: Crowe 89.

Att: 21,058

Ref: E K Wolstenholme (Blackburn).