Vitor Pereira praises Wolves' spirit after crucial Bournemouth victory

Pereira's men moved five points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich in the Premier League table after they beat Andoni Iraola's Cherries - registering their sixth win of the season in the process. 

It was the perfect weekend for Wolves as the three sides below them in the top tier of English football all fell to damaging defeats. 

It gives Pereira's side a healthy buffer as they head into a period of the season where the fixtures are more favourable. 

"It was important for us," Pereira said, reflecting on the game. "It is not easy to come here and get points. I saw a lot of teams come here, and they did not lose 1-0 but more than that. 

"They are a strong team. I think we came with the spirit to get these three points. I understand it is important for Bournemouth to get points to compete for the Champions League, but for us, it is to survive and to go away from this position, which we do not like to be in. 

"I believe that, if we have a few more points on the table, then we will show better quality. But in the end, I am happy." 

The pivotal moment in the game came when Cherries defender Illia Zabarnyi was sent off for a high tackle on Rayan Ait-Nouri following a VAR review. 

Just five minutes later, Matheus Cunha put Wolves ahead in the match when he scored for the fourth consecutive time across all competitions. 

Wolves had several chances to put the game to bed in the second period, but their failure to take their opportunities made it a tense finish at the Vitality Stadium - but they clung on for a vital three points. 

Pereira continued: "I am happy with the spirit because the team had the emotional balance, even though we had one more player."

"You know what happens a lot when a team plays with one more player. They start to lose balance and their positional game, so in the end, the other team scores. 

"Today, I think we kept our balance. We waited for the right time to create chances, and in the second half, we created two or three chances to score the second goal. 

"I am happy with the three points, and we deserved it.

"It is not only the defenders. The team must be compact. They must understand the moments to press and the moments to wait. 

"Against Bournemouth, they try a lot of long passes, and if you are not connected and coordinated to control that kind of ball, then it is a big problem because they have fast players and they have strong players. They score a lot of goals." 

Wolves are back in Premier League action on Tuesday when they host Marco Silva's Fulham at Molineux. They were beaten 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace.