Santi Bueno's header dented Sunderland's Euro hopes after the 10-man Black Cats were held by relegated Wolves.

Regis le Bris' side missed the chance to climb to ninth spot and keep pace with the sides in contention for a European place, remaining 12th in the Premier League and four points adrift of the top six.

Nordi Mukiele's first-half header gave Sunderland a 17th-minute lead, before fellow defender Dan Ballard was dismissed for pulling Tolu Arokodare's hair just seven minutes later.

Santi Bueno's second-half leveller - a header from a Hugo Bueno corner - earned rock-bottom Wolves a point with their first goal in 47 days.

The Black Cats, though, will look at Ballard's dismissal as key after dropping points at Molineux, with the centre-back the second player this season to be sent off for the same offence on Arokodare

Everton's Michael Keane walked after a hair pull on the striker during a 1-1 draw with Wolves in January, with the Toffees failing with their appeal.

Before the red card Sunderland had been comfortable against a Wolves side that had lost 23 of their previous 34 games.

Granit Xhaka went closest to finding a winner for the visitors, while Mateus Mane tested Sunderland keeper Robin Roefs as Wolves chased only their fourth victory of a disappointing campaign.

Rob Edwards needs a win. The Wolves manager has done a lot to revive the unity which had been lost at Molineux earlier in the season, but that is in danger of disappearing during an end-of-season drop-off.

Victories against Aston Villa and Liverpool, and a battling point after being 2-0 down against Arsenal, raised expectations and showed there was still fight in this Wolves team.

They were going down swinging two months ago - and also fought back from 2-0 behind to claim a point at Brentford - but three straight defeats without scoring to West Ham, Leeds and Tottenham had seen optimism evaporate.

A poor draw against a Sunderland side playing for more than an hour with 10 men did Edwards no favours.

Wolves were booed off at the end, while his decision to replace Hugo Bueno with Angel Gomes late on was also jeered.

Some fans need convincing Edwards, who joined from Middlesbrough in November, is the right man to mount a promotion challenge next season as Wolves target a return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

He has won five of his 26 games in all competitions - losing 15 - but still needs time to get to grips with a squad which needs major surgery and faces a big overhaul this summer.

Wolves host Fulham in their final home game on 17 May and victory is imperative to ease fans' growing doubts about their manager.

It was not immediately clear what the first-half video assistant referee (VAR) check for violent conduct was for.

Once it was established the officials were looking at a hair pull by Ballard then a red card was the only outcome if he was guilty.

The guidance to clubs at the start of the season was very clear, pulling an opponents' hair would be considered a dismissal.

Whether Ballard's actions could be called violent conduct may still be up for debate, but referee Paul Tierney followed the letter of the law.

Previous incidents in the Premier League this season have included Keane - also sent off for tugging Arokodare's hair - and Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez for a hair pull on Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Everton and Manchester United both failed in their appeals to get the red cards overturned so it would be expected Ballard and Sunderland will also be unsuccessful.

A three-game ban would end the defender's season and leave Sunderland further frustrated as they missed the chance to jump into the middle of the fight for Europe.

As it is they remain on the fringes.

Bottom club Wolves visit Brighton next Saturday, 9 May (15:00 BST), before hosting Fulham on Sunday, 17 May (15:00).

Manchester United come to the Stadium of Light next Saturday (15:00), with Sunderland then going to Everton on Sunday, 17 May (15:00).