Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's late goal earned Wolves a 1-1 draw with Birmingham in their top-of-the-table clash at Molineux.
Honours even at Molineux
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's late goal earned Wolves a 1-1 draw with Birmingham in their top-of-the-table clash at Molineux.
Birmingham looked set to close on the gap on Wolves at the summit of the Championship courtesy of substitute Cameron Jerome's early second-half goal until Ebanks-Blake struck 16 minutes from time.
Jerome made an immediate impact when coming off the bench at the break when he broke the deadlock on 48 minutes.
The goal stung Wolves into attack and they grabbed a deserved leveller on 74 minutes when Ebanks-Blake slotted home Stephen Ward's cut-back.
The draw maintains Wolves' six-point lead over Blues at the top as both sides battle for promotion to the Premier League.
Wolves' attempts to play the offside trip nearly landed them in trouble after only six minutes when James McFadden evaded his static marker to put the ball past Hennessey, only for the referee's assistant to raise his flag.
Wolves came closest to breaking the deadlock when Ward's throw-in missed a host of bodies in the area before clipping Liam Ridgewell's shoulder and striking a post, much to the relief of a stranded Maik Taylor.
Clearance
The visitors then came within inches of taking the lead just minutes later as Bent latched onto a through ball from the lively McFadden and lobbed an onrushing Wayne Hennessey, only to see Richard Stearman race back to clear the ball off the line.
Kevin Phillips tested Hennessey from distance and it was the away side who were looking more comfortable as the half went on, enjoying plenty of possession while nullifying Wolves.
Phillips fired a great chance straight at Hennessey from six yards, to leave the clash finely poised at the interval.
Radhi Jaidi had a great chance to give Blues the lead two minutes after the restart but he could only fire his effort well over the bar from 18 yards out.
But Blues finally broke the deadlock less than 60 seconds later.
On-loan Nigel Quashie played a through ball that Stearman failed to clear and Jerome, on for Phillips at the break, found himself in the clear and held off his markers before firing past Hennessey, via a deflection, from 15 yards.
The goal seemed to bring Wolves to life and Karl Henry blasted narrowly wide while Ward almost wriggled free in the area before seeing his effort blocked.
McFadden half-volleyed just wide as the game became more open but it was Wolves who levelled matters with 16 minutes remaining.
Ward broke free down the left side of the penalty area and evaded a sliding challenge from Jaidi before sliding the ball across to Ebanks-Blake who slotted home.
Stearman did brilliantly to nick the ball from the toe of Jerome when he found himself clean through shortly after, while Taylor saved well from Sam Vokes in a frantic finale.
