Holden returns to haunt McCarthy and lift Bolton

Bolton Wanderers 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Stuart Holden's arrival in English football was one of the more inconspicuous pieces of transfer business conducted in January but, considering he has already outshone David Beckham this season, it should have come as no surprise that the British-born United States international should have made an immediate impact on his full Premier League debut.

The play-making midfielder, signed by Bolton's Owen Coyle from Houston Dynamo of the MLS, has already had one taste of English football, via a short-term, and ultimately unsuccessful, stay with Sunderland, then managed by Mick McCarthy.

It was in keeping with the visitors'' wretched luck – they twice struck the post – that Holden should mastermind a result that could spell relegation trouble for the manager who showed him the door, now at Wolves. "I was there for six months five or six years ago," said Holden of his spell in the north-east. "I didn't catch up with Mick but there's no hard feelings; it didn't work out for me but I'm grateful for the chance."

Bolton's winner came courtesy of poor defending when Chung-yong Lee was allowed to keep an errant corner in play and crossed for Zat Knight to claim his first goal for the club.

Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Knight, Ricketts, Robinson; Chung-Yong (Weiss, 89), Holden, Muamba, Wilshere (Taylor, 81); Elmander (Klasnic, 64), K Davies. Substitutes not used: Al Habsi (gk), Riga, Cohen, O'Brien.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-1-4-1): Hahnemann; Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Ward; Henry; Foley (Keogh, 73), Guedioura (Ebanks-Blake, 68), Jones, Jarvis; Doyle. Substitutes not used: Hennessey (gk), Elokobi, Vokes, Milijas, Mancienne.

Referee: A Marriner (Birmingham).

Booked: Wolves Henry, Foley.

Man of match: Holden.

Attendance: 21,261.