Wolverhampton Wanderers' promotion chances have been written off by all but their most faithful fans after Saturday's failure to beat Stoke City at Molineux.

But it is worth noting that without their amazing penchant for rescuing points with late goals, the most recent of which was Carl Cort's 94th minute equaliser, Glenn Hoddle's men would now be in the Championship's bottom three.

With only seven games remaining, Wolves still have nine points to make up on the play-off pack but if Hoddle's men keep showing the same never-day-die spirit, they need not throw in the towel yet.

"We have nicked goals at the end in a few games," said Cort. "And that gives you the belief that you can do it again."

In Hoddle's 17 league matches in charge, Wolves have now gone behind 13 times. Yet, only once, at leaders Wigan Athletic, have they gone on to lose.

And their capacity for scoring goals in the final 20 minutes, especially when the referee is starting to look at his watch, has been nothing short of astonishing.

In ten separate matches, Wolves have scored eight late equalisers and two late winners - a points tally of 12, without which they would be in the relegation zone, adrift of Coventry City.

Cort's latest injury-time equaliser was the third time that Wolves have rescued a point in time added on since Hoddle took charge, Cort himself having done it against Crewe Alexandra, while Leon Clarke did the same at home to Gillingham.

Cort also levelled in the 85th minute at Queens Park Rangers, appeared to have hit an 89th-minute winner at Pride Park only for Derby County to equalise, and scored one of the two late goals that beat West Ham United in January.

Add to that Seol's injurytime winner at Millwall and his 73rd-minute leveller at Preston North End and Kenny Miller's late Boxing Day equaliser at Cardiff City, and it shows the fire that burns in Wolves bellies.

"I think a lot of the boys feel fitter and stronger and it comes down to pure persistence," said Cort. "But, while all the draws are no good to us, at the same time one point is better than nothing.

"We've only had one loss since the manager has come in and that does give you a lot of confidence and belief that we can still do it.

"To be honest, I thought we controlled the game and played all the pretty stuff against Stoke."

An interesting observation from Cort in the wake of the angry words from Stoke manager Tony Pulis which flew in Hoddle's direction on Saturday night. n Wolves old boy Dean Richards has been forced to retire on medical grounds - less than three months after his old manager Glenn Hoddle tried to bring him back to Molineux.

Richards underwent tests for a suspected brain tumour last year and has suffered with a long-term ear infection and dizzy spells for most of the season.

And he has now decided to call it a day at age of 30 after medical advice suggested it would be harmful to his longterm health if he opted to carry on playing.

Richards has been with Tottenham Hotspur since Hoddle took him there for £8.1 million from Southampton in September 2001.