Neves nets Wolves winner in match dogged by drone and delays

There were crazy scenes at Brentford’s Community Stadium as both teams were forced off the pitch while the drone hovered above.

Ruben Neves fired Wolves to a 2-1 Premier League victory at Brentford in a match dogged by delays, including a 20-minute stoppage for a drone flying overhead.

There were crazy scenes at Brentford’s Community Stadium as both teams were forced off the pitch while the drone hovered above.

The flying nuisance eventually buzzed off to allow play to get back underway, and Joao Moutinho put Wolves ahead before Ivan Toney equalised.

But Neves brought the Bees crashing back to earth as his late strike condemned them to a sixth defeat in seven league matches.

After being sent off for confronting referee Peter Bankes at the final whistle, there was a sour ending for Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

A bizarre match had already been held up for five minutes midway through the first half, following a nasty clash of heads between Brentford team-mates Mathias Jensen and Rico Henry, which left both bleeding heavily.

Mercifully, both were able to walk off the field with the Bees forced to use concussion substitutes.

Moments later, the drone hovered into view, forcing Bankes and fourth official Martin Atkinson to order the players off the field per Premier League rules.

The match resumed at 3.50 pm, with Atkinson signalling 19 minutes of the first half still to play.

However, supporters might have been better looking skywards, given what was playing out on the pitch.

Wolves did finish the half on top with Fabio Silva – starting a Premier League match for the first time this season in place of the injured Raul Jimenez – volleying wide, before the half-time whistle blew, 71 minutes after the game had kicked off.

There was, incredibly, a further delay at the start of the second half when Bankes discovered a problem with his communication equipment and disappeared back down the tunnel.

Five minutes later, after having a new device fitted to his arm, Bankes trotted out to an ironic cheer and applause from grinning Wolves boss Bruno Lage.

Lage smiled even more broadly three minutes later when his side broke the deadlock in refined style.

Moutinho exchanged passes with Nelson Semedo on the right-hand corner of the penalty area before curling a superb shot outside of his right boot past Bees goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.

Wanderers almost had a second moments later when Leander Dendoncker drilled a low cross into the area, but Silva could not get the crucial touch.

Midway through the half, Bankes showed a straight red card to Wolves’ Toti Gomes for a rash challenge on Kristoffer Ajer, only to overturn it after checking the replays following the VAR’s intervention another delay.

Toney equalised for Brentford with a neat far-post volley from Bryan Mbeumo’s free-kick in the 71st minute.

But eight minutes later, when Semedo reached the byline and cut the ball back, Moutinho teed up Neves, who lashed an unstoppable shot inside Lossl’s near post.

Adama Traore, whose wayward shooting could have probably brought down a drone, had a goal ruled out for offside in stoppage time.

Nevertheless, another victory ensured Lage’s Wolves are still flying high.