Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their first home win of the Premier League season with a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Molineux.

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Goals in each half from Kevin Doyle and David Edwards handed the hosts a comfortable lead, but Danny Murphy's penalty in the 66th minute gave Fulham a way back in.

The visitors then rallied late on to make it a nervy closing 20 minutes for Wolves, but Mick McCarthy's side held out to take all three points.

Roy Hodgson's charges were the quicker to settle in the very early stages, but after holding the ball well and edging the midfield tussle it was Wolves who took the initiative.

The first half was light on real chances, but Doyle had a half decent opportunity when he got a head on George Elokobi's cross shortly before he gave his side the lead. That effort was off target from 12 yards, but the Irishman could not miss from point-blank range in the 18th minute when he headed his team into the lead.

Greg Halford had already served warning of the danger he posed with his long throws, and it was one such delivery which Christophe Berra nodded on for Doyler to direct in instinctively from four yards.

For the rest of the first 45 minutes there were no efforts on target from either side as Wolves debutant Segundo Castillo flashed a speculative dipping shot wide from 35 yards, while Bobby Zamora tried to make his physical presence count up front for Fulham.

On the stroke of half-time Wolves had the ball in the back of the net through Andy Keogh, but he was deemed offside and it remained a one-goal advantage to the home side at the interval.

That was the case for less than five minutes of the second half as Edwards made it two with an assured finish. He started the move from midfield, freeing Keogh who made it into Fulham's area before squaring for Edwards to sweep the ball into the top-right corner from 12 yards.

A two-goal cushion further enhanced Wolves' appetite for more and Matthew Jarvis curled a shot just over before Keogh drifted in a cross which Aaron Hughes headed towards his own goal. Mark Schwarzer's fingertip save took the ball onto the crossbar to spare his team-mate's blushes.

The threat of going three down seemed to breathe some life into Fulham and they did regroup, Dickson Etuhu's powerful drive testing Wayne Hennessey from 20 yards. Damien Duff then pulled a shot wide as the momentum swung Fulham's way, and in the 65th minute the visitors were handed a lifeline. Michael Mancienne held Zamora back inside Wolves' area, and Murphy's spot-kick was perfectly placed into the bottom-right corner to make it 2-1.

Diomansy Kamara was one of Fulham's late substitutions as Hodgson went all out for an equaliser, and the forward sprung the offside trap at a free-kick to combine with Zamora. But he was put off by an onrushing Hennessey and his dink over the keeper lacked enough power as Wolves weathered a late onslaught from their opponents to seal the win.