Wolves 1 (Johnson 43)
Sunderland 1 (Elliott 81)
Wolves and Sunderland shared the spoils in a game where most of the media focus was centred on the respective managers - Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane.
The two shook hands before and after the contest following their much publicised dispute prior to the World Cup Finals in 2002.
Jamie Clapham returned for the injured Charlie Mulgrew and Jemal Johnson partnered Jay Bothroyd up front with Darren Potter dropping down to the bench.
Sunderland kicked-off attacking the North Bank end in front of a near capacity Molineux crowd and, after a lively but chanceless start, it was the visitors that had had the first real opportunity with seven minutes gone.
Clapham's clearance hit Dean Whitehead and bounced into the path of Grant Leadbitter whose close range shot was charged down by the formidable figure of Matt Murray.
Play immediately switched to the other end where Johnson jinked his way into the Sunderland box before screwing a shot wide of the far post.
Gary Breen, playing against his former club, blocked from David Connolly who enjoyed a lengthy loan spell at Wolves, and then Danny Collins cleared a Daniel Jones free-kick after he had fouled Johnson to the right of the Sunderland box.
Lewis Gobern's free-kick from the right of the area fell to Jody Craddock whose shot drew a fine save from Sunderland keeper Darren Ward. Then Seyi Olofinjana fed a short pass through to Jones who drove narrowly over the bar from a narrow angle.
On the half-hour mark Karl Henry was inches over with a terrific effort from 30-yards before a moment of danger saw the home fans hold their breath as Connolly just failed to make contact with Ross Wallace's corner.
Bothroyd glanced a header wide following a Johnson centre from the left and then Ward managed to touch Gobern's shot against the inside of the post after a corner from Jones. Appeals that the ball had crossed the line before it was cleared by Whitehead were waved away by the referee.
But Wolves moved into a 43RD minute lead after a fine strike from Johnson who controlled a nod down from Bothroyd before rifling a 25-yard shot into the top corner.
Just before the interval Dwight Yorke was shown the yellow card following a tackle in Gobern.
Half-Time: Wolves 1 Sunderland 0
The visitors replaced Yorke with Tobias Hysen at the start of the new half which was three minute old when Johnson fired wide after Gobern had supplied the centre following a Jones' free-kick that had been half cleared.
A break from Johnson after a Sunderland attack saw the ball breaking to Gobern who advanced to the edge of the visitors box before prodding the ball a yard wide of the post.
Bothroyd drew a fine save from Ward after Olofinjana had slipped the ball into the striker's path before Jones went into the book for a late challenge on Wallace.
Leon Clarke replaced Bothroyd in the 64th minute and Graham Kavanagh was a Sunderland replacement for Liam Miller.
Murray had to block at the feet of Hysen after Wallace had slid a pass into the home area, then Clarke was denied with a save from Ward after Mark Little had run onto Gobern's weighted pass.
Sunderland drew level in the 80th minute when the home defence had failed to clear a Leadbitter corner. After his flag-kick had been played back to him, Leadbitter returned the ball into the box and Stephen Elliott's shot appeared to take a slight deflection off Little on its way past Murray.
With time running out Craig Davies was sent on for Johnson and moments later Stanislav Varga was yellow carded for pulling back the Molineux striker.
In the final minute Murray did well to turn aside a free-kick from Leadbitter.
Wolves: Murray, Little, Clapham, Henry, Breen, Craddock (capt), Gobern, Johnson (C. Davies 84), Bothroyd (Clarke 64), Olofinjana, Jones.
Unused subs: Collins, Potter, Ikeme.
Booking: Jones (63 - foul).
Sunderland: Ward, Nyatanga, Whitehead, Elliott, Collins, Leadbitter, Varga, Connolly, Wallace (Nosworthy 77), Yorke (capt), (Hysen 45), Miller (Kavanagh 64).
Unused subs: Caldwell, Carson.
Bookings: Yorke (45 - foul), Varga (87 - foul).
Referee: M. Pike.
Attendance: 27,203.
Goldrush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Sunderland: 2 - 14 - 16 - 18.
