Wolves failed to convince Julen Lopetegui to stay at Molineux last year, but they have kept him in his current job. Pathetic defending from set pieces has once again cost Gary O’Neil’s side and although West Ham have hardly played with much style, they can continue to put off making a decision on Lopetegui’s future after winning thanks to opportunistic goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen have defeated wasteful opponents.

Ultimately, the feeling remains that West Ham are delaying the inevitable, as defeat here would have spelled the end of their unpopular manager’s unhappy reign. They find themselves in a strange position – nine points above the bottom three, seven points behind fifth – and the overall mood is unconvincing. That performance did little to excite the home crowd and although it was important to win for Michail Antonio, who is recovering from his horrific car accident, West Ham would be kidding themselves if they thought a draw would have flattered Wolves .

As it was, this defeat could be the end for O’Neil. Wolves created chances, got a great equalizer through Matt Doherty and saved two big penalties, but the walls are closing in. O’Neil, who highlighted his team’s performance, is running out of time to prove he can avoid relegation.

The problem for Wolves, who remain in the bottom three, is that they have the worst defensive record in the Premier League. West Ham needed just two minutes to respond to Doherty’s strike, Bowen scored the winner, and there will come a point when O’Neil’s bosses will freak out.

“Whenever it ends I will be incredibly proud of the job,” said the Wolves manager. “The players will give everything for me until the last moment. They are devastated for me. For the fans, they are devastated.”

The pain of the defeat was so great that Mario Lemina went into full action and clashed with Bowen, causing the situation to almost boil over. Lemina’s teammates had to drag him away and the midfielder even had an altercation with Shaun Derry, one of O’Neil’s assistants. “Mario is calm now,” O’Neil said.

After Antonio’s accident, this was certainly a night full of emotions. Although the striker survived, fans are wondering whether he will play again after undergoing surgery for a broken leg.

At least Antonio was able to speak to his teammates via video link before kick-off. However, the absence of the Premier League’s record goalscorer was a heavy burden for West Ham. They paid tribute to him with special track tops and it was unsettling to imagine a future without him.

These breathtaking runs have been a staple since the 34-year-old moved from Nottingham Forest in 2015. The fans love Antonio’s effort and West Ham missed his presence in the first half. Having decided not to sack Lopetegui following last week’s defeat at Leicester, they saw little sign of an identity forming under the Spaniard. The football was too slow and Wolves were not put under much pressure before half-time.

O’Neil was encouraged by his team’s discipline and work rate. Wolves sat in a low block and when a chance arose for West Ham, Crysencio Summerville’s deft pass found Carlos Soler, Rayan Aït-Nouri blocked the midfielder’s shot on goal.

West Ham played in spurts, sudden outbursts sent Wolves reeling. Bowen and Mohammed Kudus tested Sam Johnstone. Konstantinos Mavropanos missed from close range.

Wolves were cautious after their 4-0 defeat to Everton. Still, they should have taken the lead when Jørgen Strand Larsen’s pass sent Doherty past Emerson Palmieri on the right. João Gomes somehow shot Doherty’s cross past the far post.

West Ham were more decisive. After a slow start to the second half they moved forward, Aaron Wan-Bissaka winning a controversial corner. Bowen’s shot was low, the mark was off and Soucek fired a header past Johnstone.

Wolves were left reeling after conceding their fifth goal in a row from a set piece. West Ham, playing with renewed vigor, were soon denied a second goal as Kudus was offside as he converted Bowen’s cutback.

Now the wolves spied a reprieve. O’Neil made positive changes, the introduction of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Gonçalo Guedes changed the flow of the game. Wolves raged when Guedes was denied a penalty after being pushed by Emerson, who had a yellow card. West Ham escaped with another goal when Mavropanos cut down Bellegarde.

It wasn’t to be for Wolves, even after Doherty parried Aït-Nouri’s cross past Lukasz Fabianski. Two minutes later West Ham pressed for another set piece. O’Neil saw a foul on Santiago Bueno but play continued and Kudus found Bowen, who overcame a weak attack from Guedes and shaped a lovely shot beyond Johnstone.

“A fighter and a warrior,” Bowen had said of Antonio. Now the West Ham captain ran behind the goal to pull out a jersey in honor of the striker. The narrative was set. The Wolves had further chances, but O’Neil had no luck and Lopetegui held on – for now.