Ipswich Town 0
Wolves 1 (Ward 33)
Stephen Ward's 33rd minute strike proved to be enough to earn Wolves victory from a lively encounter against Ipswich at Portman Road.
It was the striker's third goal in four games and the third consecutive win for Mick McCarthy's men.
The early chances all went the way of Ipswich and Rob Edwards had to concede a corner after Gary Roberts had pulled the ball back from the by-line into the heart of the Wolves box.
Alan Lee then let fly from the edge of the box but his volley went straight to Matt Murray who fielded a low shot from Matt Richards moments later.
When home keeper Lewis Price was called into action, with 15 minutes gone, he had to be at his best to turn aside a Michael McIndoe shot that took a hefty deflection off Alex Bruce. Dan Harding put the ball behind but McIndoe's corner was cleared.
Murray caught a looping header from Lee under the bar and then knocked down a 25-yard effort from Jaime Peters with one hand before falling on the ball.
In the 33rd minute Wolves took the lead when Ward intercepted David Wright's back-pass and fired past Price from an acute angle.
Stung by the goal Ipswich went on the attack and after Murray had turned behind a header from Lee, Roberts volleyed narrowly over after latching on to a headed clearance.
Edwards' then conceded a free-kick 25-yards out after a challenge on Lee but Roberts' kick hit the wall and went behind for a corner.
On the stroke of half-time, Price took a header from Ward after Andy Keogh had supplied the cross.
Half-Time: Ipswich 0 Wolves 1
McIndoe went into the book for kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick shortly after the restart, and Murray had to race from his line to smother a deflected shot from Jon Walters.
Wolves almost had a second goal in the 57th minute when Michael Kightly volleyed goalwards after connecting with McIndoe's cross only for Price to dive full length and push the ball away.
Richards blazed a shot over the bar from 12-yards out after a cross from Walters and Jason De Vos charged down a Darren Potter drive after McIndoe had found the midfielder to the right of the Town goal.
After Roberts had hit another close range effort high over Murray's bar, Jim Magilton made two changes with Danny Haynes and Owen Garvan replacing Lee and Roberts respectively.
Haynes soon boosted the hopes of the home fans with a driven centre that flashed across the face of goal and Murray was at his finest when he pawed away a close range shot from Walters after Sylvain Legwinski had squared the ball.
Play quickly switched to the opposite end and Price just got down to push away a shot from Keogh who had cut in from the left.
In the 78th minute Wolves had a narrow escape when Garvan headed Richards' corner against the bar.
But then the Town goal was lucky to survive intact when McIndoe and Wright both failed to get a touch as they charged in and were less than a yard out as they tried to reach Keogh's low cross.
Ipswich piled on the pressure in the closing minutes but the Wanderers defence stood firm to keep a clean sheet for the fourth away match in succession.
Ipswich: Price, Richards, De Vos (capt), Bruce, Legwinski (Clarke 83), Peters, Lee (Haynes 68), Walters, Wright, Harding, Roberts (Garvan 68).
Unused subs: Supple, Casement.
Wolves: Murray, Henry (capt), McNamara, Potter, Edwards, N. Collins, Kightly (Bothroyd 85), Olofinjana, Keogh (Craddock 81), Ward (M. Davies 90), McIndoe.
Unused subs: Budtz, Clapham.
Booking: McIndoe (48 - kicking ball away after conceding free-kick).
Referee: S. Mathieson.
Attendance: 20,602.
