After disastrously suffering back-to-back relegations to fall into the third tier for the first time in 24 years, Wolverhampton Wanderers stormed to the League One title with 103 points a year ago.
With Kenny Jackett at the helm, the Black Country club were far too good for League One and many tipped them to emulate the achievements of Southampton and Norwich City in recent seasons by following successive relegations with back-to-back promotions.
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The other team automatically promoted with Wolves from League One were Brentford and they managed to sneak into the playoffs, but Jackett's men couldn't join them as they agonisingly missed out on a top-six place on goal difference.
Still, a positive first season back in the Championship and if they improve in 2015-16, they will have a real shot at returning to the Premier League.
Five key results
Wolves 1-0 Norwich City, August 10, 2014: It was newly-promoted against newly-relegated on the opening weekend of the season as Wolves welcomed Norwich to Molineux. The match was given special attention and a spot on Sunday afternoon to be broadcast on TV and Wolves delivered in front of their supporters with a 1-0 win thanks to Dave Edwards's second-half strike. A perfect way to start the season against a side who had kept the bulk of their squad from the top flight.
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Wolves 2-0 Middlesbrough, October 21, 2014: Wolves made a strong start to the season, but no wins in four going into this meeting with Boro had seen them drop out of the top six. While Wolves were on the slide, Boro had not lost in seven and won five of those games to move within a point of the top. Jackett's men put an end to that streak with an impressive 2-0 win, with goals from Bakary Sako and Nouha Dicko the difference.
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Wolves, December 13, 2014: Wolves missed the chance to go joint-top with a 0-0 draw at home to nearby Birmingham City at the start of November, and then followed that disappointing scoreline with five straight defeats. It was a tough run of games, all against sides fancying promotion, but no points out of 15 was unacceptable and Jackett's side were in the bottom half. The rot stopped at Hillsborough when unfancied frontman Leon Clarke delivered his second late winner of the season - three much-needed points and a victory that would trigger a nine-game unbeaten streak in the league.
Wolves 2-0 Derby County, March 20, 2015:
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With just eight games of the season to go, Wolves had closed to within three points of the playoffs and next was a visit from Steve McClaren's flailing Derby. The Rams appeared on course to go up in the early part of 2015, but they entered this match without a win in four and Wolves made it five thanks to Dicko and a calamitous own goal from Lee Grant. It was a huge win and one that really gave the Black Country club hope of sneaking into the top six.
Wolves 4-3 Leeds United, April 6, 2015: This victory on Easter Monday made it four wins in a row and did move Jackett's side into the sought-after top six. Leeds took a surprise lead early on, but a double from Dicko and one from Afobe just after half time put Wolves well in control. Leeds didn't have much to play for, but you couldn't tell as two goals in nine minutes had them level before long-time servant Edwards came up with a late winner to send Molineux wild.
Unfortunately, they would pick up just one point from nine in the next three and, despite finishing with successive wins, that ended up costing them by the season's end on May 2.
Best Player - Bakary Sako
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His Molineux future may currently be up in the air, with Leicester City the latest to join a growing list of Premier League clubs in showing a reported interest, and on the back of his goal return in the 2014-15 season that comes as very little surprise.
In all, Bako found the net 15 times to top score for a side which boasted one of the best attacking lines in the second tier. Wolves missed their leading marksman when he joined up with international side Mali mid-season for the Africa Cup of Nations, but he was soon back into his stride to find the net four times before February was out.
Most Improved Player - Dominic Iorfa
Handed his first-team debut at the start of December, this was truly a season to remember for the young right-back. Iorfa was soon a mainstay in the side, keeping Matt Doherty out in the cold as a result, while also becoming a firm fans' favourite.
Shortly after landing the club's Young Player of the Year accolade, manager Jackett stressed that there was still more to come from the England Under-20s hopeful. Wolves supporters will just be hoping that his development takes place at Molineux and not elsewhere.
Best Signing - Benik Afobe
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It is easy to forget now, as Afobe prepares to run out for England Under-21s at the European Championships, but just 12 months ago he was preparing for life in League One. A drop down to the third tier has clearly paid dividends for Afobe in the long term, with a healthy goal return at MK Dons seeing him set sail for Wolves in the winter transfer window.
A lot has happened since then, including a return to the international fold with the Young Lions, yet one thing has remained constant - his ability to find the net. In fact, Afobe ended the season with 32 goals to his name in total, taking him above Harry Kane as the country's leading goalscorer in the top four divisions of English football.
Best Goal - James Henry vs. Bolton Wanderers
The fabulous team goal finished off by Sako against Fulham came close, but this rocket from Henry just edges it as it was an equaliser in the 95th minute.
Must Do Better - Michael Jacobs
Forced to settle for a bit-part role in the side for so long this season, Jacobs was finally afforded the chance to land first-team football elsewhere when shipped out on loan to a doomed Blackpool side in March.
The January 2014 signing from Derby County failed to make an impression, although he was given a run-out against Middlesbrough upon returning to the West Midlands. Jacobs, who was named Northampton Town's Player of the Season in successive years earlier in his career, still has time on his side. But he must make an early impact at the start of the new campaign to win over the doubters if he is to shine once more.
End-of-season grade: A-
It says a lot about the work achieved under Jackett that supporters were largely left disappointed when missing out on the Championship playoffs. In the end, goal difference alone separated Wolves and seventh-placed Ipswich Town, with back-to-back wins to see out the campaign not being enough to earn them a place in the end-of-season lottery. Wanderers fans will now be hoping to see their side push on in their second campaign back at this level, using last term's experience to help get them over the line this time around.
Pascal Lemesre
