Nuno hails Wolves game-changer Ivan Cavaleiro

The 24-year-old scored two minutes after coming on at Molineux, in the 79th minute, before Jonny Otto doubled Wolves lead on 87 minutes to earn them victory.

The result extended Wolves unbeaten run to five games in the top flight and lifted them up to eighth in the table.

Nuno felt Southampton gave Wolves a ‘tough game’ but felt his team were deserving of the victory.

The 44-year-old said: “Yes (it was a special moment for Cavaleiro to score). On Tuesday he played a good 55 minutes (against Leicester City in Wolves’ Carabao Cup defeat).

“He is coming back, today he went off from the bench, he helped the team.

“This is what we want. When a player comes in, either in the starting 11 or coming from the bench, he must do his task and help the team. He did well today. Someone did it before, this is the spirit we want to build, everybody involved and everybody committed to what we want to achieve.”

Nuno continued: “Yes it was a difficult game. Southampton created us problems. I think we also managed to create chances. It was a good game.

"In the end, if we deserve it or not, you never know. What we know that we are ready and able to adapt to any scenario that we come across in the game, even when you are not having the ball you have to stay consistent, organised, that is what keeps you in the game and knowing when a chance comes, we produce offensive movements to create chances.

"You have to score and after the first goal I think in that moment we had the game controlled and managed well and we arrived at the second goal.

"You ask if we deserve it or not, I would say yes. Probably Mark Hughes (Southampton manager) would say no, but this is the game, this is sport, this is football.”