Wolves 3 (Keogh 8, Ebanks-Blake 43, Kightly 56)
Cardiff City 0
Wolves play-off hopes are still very much alive after a comfortable 3-0 Molineux victory over FA Cup finalists Cardiff City.
Gary Breen and Michael Kightly retained their places after coming on as substitutes in the previous game, against Ipswich, and Darron Gibson returned in midfield.
Missing from the team that started against the East Anglians were the injured duo of Michael Gray and David Edwards, and Neill Collins who was named as a substitute.
City kicked-off attacking the North Bank end and, after an uneventful opening few minutes, the visitors won the first corner of the game.
Peter Whittingham's flag-kick was cleared upfield to Matt Jarvis who cut inside before being tripped by Stephen McPhail 22-yards out and in a central position.
Andy Keogh's free-kick hit the wall but just a few seconds later the Irish striker headed Wolves into an eighth minute lead.
The loose ball bounced out to Kightly who picked out Kevin Foley in the right of the Cardiff area. He nodded the ball back into the heart of the box and Keogh ran in to power a diving header past Peter Enckleman who got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out (pictured).
Jody Craddock charged down a well struck effort from Whittingham and then Matt Jarvis chased the ball to the by-line and crossed to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
He, in turn, passed back to Seyi Olofinjana who quickly laid the ball off for Gibson to hit a low drive that forced a diving save from Enckleman.
A fierce shot from Joe Ledley hit a defender and bounced behind for a corner and then Gavin Rae headed down a long ball into the path of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink whose shot was saved by the legs of Wayne Hennessey.
Wolves had a two on one break in the 38th minute when Jarvis raced along the left flank with Ebanks-Blake keeping pace in the middle. But, when the winger tried to find his team-mate, Glenn Loovens just manage to intercept at the expense of a corner.
Two minutes before the break Wolves increased their lead when Ebanks-Blake, sandwiched between two defenders, forced the ball over the line from point-blank range after Keogh had nodded Foley's centre across the face of goal.
Half-Time: Wolves 2 Cardiff 0
Shortly after the restart, Ebanks-Blake's cross from the left fell to Gibson who drove narrowly over bar.
But the respite for the Bluebirds was brief as Wolves went three up in the 56th minute with Kightly marking his first start since November in style.
His short pass on the edge of the area was deflected to Ebanks-Blake who powered in a shot that Enckleman couldn't hold.
Kightly was in like a flash to turn the ball over the line before the keeper had chance to recover.
Kightly was withdrawn shortly afterwards and he left the field to rapturous applause to be replaced by Stephen Ward.
As the half neared its midway stage, Hennessey made another class save from Hasselbaink. Ledley threaded a pass through to the Dutchman whose shot from the edge of the area was turned away by Hennessy as he dived to his right.
George Elokobi hooked clear Ledley's dangerous short cross from in front of goal and, at the other end Olofinjana's goalbound volley bounced back to his feet off a defender and his second effort also hit a Cardiff man before going behind for a corner.
A series of substitutions followed with Stephen Elliott and Neill Collins coming on for Jarvis and Foley respectively for Wanderers.
The best piece of goalmouth action in the closing stages came following Keogh's 86th minute corner which led to efforts from Olofinjana and Ebanks-Blake before the ball was eventually cleared.
Wolves: Hennessey, Foley (N. Collins 87), Elokobi, Gibson, Craddock, Breen (capt), Kightly (S. Ward 60), Keogh, Ebanks-Blake, Olofinjana, Jarvis (Elliott 76).
Unused subs: Eastwood, Stack.
Cardiff: Enckleman, McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Loovens, Whittingham (Blake 82), McPhail (capt), Johnson, Ledley, Ramsey (Scimeca 63), Hasselbaink (Thompson 63).
Unused subs: Purse, Oakes.
Referee: M. Halsey.
Attendance: 20,862.
Goldrush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Cardiff City: 1 - 4 - 6 - 10.
