Wolves 2 (Gray 57, Collins 82)
Scunthorpe United 1 (Butler 5)
One down after just five minutes, Wolves had to battle hard before finally overcoming struggling Scunthorpe thanks to a late headed goal from Neil Collins.
Mick McCarthy named an unchanged team for the visit of the Lincolnshire side and Wolves kicked-off attacking the North Bank end of the ground.
The home crowd were stunned as Scunthorpe moved into a fifth minute lead when the first corner of the game, taken by Grant McCann, was headed home by Andy Butler.
It took a timely clearance from George Elokobi to prevent a second Scunthorpe goal four minutes later as Geoff Horsfield tried to get on the end of Ian Morris's dangerous low cross.
Darren Potter's free-kick from just outside the area was headed wide by Darren Ward as Wolves looked to hit back and then Michael Gray beat two men on a run down the left flank but his low cross was cut out by Scunthorpe keeper Joe Murphy.
Andy Keogh's industrious run from inside his own half ended with a pass to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake that was intercepted by Murphy before Horsfield went close for the visitors with a long distance effort that skimmed the roof of the net.
Seyi Olofinjana drove a centre across the face of goal before, in the 31st minute, Matt Jarvis was sent on in place of Potter with Wolves moving from a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3.
Seconds after Jarvis's introduction he hit a low cross that Gray met well only for his shot to be deflected away by team-mate Olofinjana.
Gray was harshly booked for tugging at Mathew Sparrow's shirt and Martin Paterson soon followed into the referee's notebook for kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick just before the break.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Scunthorpe 1
Murphy had to sprint from his box to clear from Keogh who had chased down a long through ball before Sparrow went into the book for a challenge on Jarvis.
Wolves drew level in the 57th minute when Jarvis's free-kick on the left was headed out by a defender but only as far as Gray whose 20-yard volley flew into the net taking a deflection on the way (pictured).
Olofinjana almost put Wanderers into the lead two minutes later but Murphy saved the Nigerian's shot after Jarvis had once again provided the centre.
Freddy Eastwood was a substitute for Gray on the hour and he saw his shot deflected wide off a defender after he had latched on to an Olofinjana cross.
A Jarvis free-kick was cleared after Keogh had been fouled just outside the Scunthorpe box, and Eastwood's pass to Ebanks-Blake almost saw Wolves moving ahead but the former Plymouth man's shot smashed against the top of the bar.
Olofinajana's header was cleared off the line by Butler but, from the corner conceded, Wolves finally made the breakthrough to take an 82nd minute lead. Jarvis floated over the flag-kick and in ran Collins to power a header into the corner of the net.
Shortly before the end, Keogh almost grabbed a third but his header was cleared off the line by Jim Goodwin.
Wolves: Hennessey, Foley, Elokobi, Henry (capt), D. Ward, Collins, Potter (Jarvis 31), Keogh, Ebanks-Blake (Kyle 88), Olofinjana, Gray (Eastwood 67).
Unused subs: Jarvis, Eastwood, Gibson, Stack, Kyle.
Booking: Gray (42 - shirt-pulling).
Scunthorpe: Murphy, Crosby (capt), Butler, Sparrow, Baraclough, Goodwin, McCann, Cork, Morris (Weston 78), Horsfield, Paterson (May 74).
Unused subs: Lillis, Hobbs, Hayes.
Bookings: Paterson (45 - unsporting conduct). Sparrow (56 - foul), Murphy (82 - dissent).
Referee: M. Haywood.
Attendance: 21,628.
Goldrush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Scunthorpe United: 3 - 13 - 17 - 18.
