Wolves 2 (Ebanks-Blake 1, Keogh 58)
Crystal Palace 1 (Ifill 32)
After an incredible start to the game with a Sylvan Ebanks-Blake goal after just 20 seconds, Wolves were pegged back by a resolute Crystal Palace side before an Andy Keogh header settled the contest in the second half.
The win kept Wolves on top of the Championship table and the 16 points taken from the six games played is the best start to a League season since the 1962/63 campaign which also saw five wins and a draw from the opening six matches.
With Matt Jarvis dropping out with a groin injury, Mick McCarthy bought Sam Vokes, the two goal hero at Charlton, in for his first League start with the club in an otherwise unchanged team.
Before the start a minute's silence was observed in memory of two former Molineux men who had recently passed away - Bill Shorthouse and Cameron Buchanan.
Wolves kicked-off attacking the North Bank end and they took the lead after just 20 seconds with one of the fastest goals in the club's history.
Keogh's cross from the left was headed forward by Dave Jones to Ebanks-Blake who turned and fired past Julian Speroni without a Palace player having touched the ball (pictured).
Speroni had to tip over a Michael Kightly cross and then the keeper was relieved to see a free-kick from the Wolves man drift over a packed six-yard box and wide of the far post.
It took a tremendous reflex save from Wayne Hennessey to maintain Wolves' lead in the 12th minute. Palace were awarded a free-kick outside the area and before the home defence had time to organise a wall, Nick Carle rolled the ball into the path of Paul Ifill who hit a shot that was destined for the net until the Welsh keeper knocked it away with an outstretched arm.
In the 22nd minute Vokes looked to be pulled back as he went for Ebanks-Blake's knock-on following Stephen Ward's cross but the referee waved away penalty appeals.
Wolves were forced to make a change when Jones left the field with what appeared to be a back injury to be replaced by Dave Edwards.
Karl Henry just got a foot in to deflect the ball back to Hennessey as Sean Scannell threatened to break through before, moments later, the Wolves midfielder went on the attack with a run from the halfway line. He laid the ball into the path of Keogh who was tearing in from the right but his drive was too high.
Palace drew level in the 32nd minute after Neill Collins missed the chance of clearing allowing Kieron Djilali a free run into the box where he picked out Ifill who netted from eight-yards.
Speroni saved a long range effort from Edwards but the defender must have been grateful to one of his defenders who threw himself in the way of an Edwards piledriver that had 'goal' written all over it. Clint Hill went into the book for a foul on Kightly shortly afterwards.
In the final minute of the half, Speroni almost slid out of his area with the ball after he had just beaten Edwards to Ebanks-Blake's crossfield pass.
Half-Time: Wolves 1 Palace 1
Six minutes into the second period, Matt Lawrence was yellow carded for tripping Ebanks-Blake who headed wide from Kightly's free-kick.
A great ball out of defence by Edwards found Ward on the left. He slipped a pass inside to Kightly whose shot from acute angle was saved by Speroni.
Wolves regained the advantage in the 58th minute when Kightly's low, driven cross was turned goalwards by Ebanks-Blake. Speroni did well to block but the ball looped into the air and Keogh ran in to head home.
Michael Gray replaced Vokes midway through the half and then Kevin Foley was booked for pulling back Hill near the left hand corner flag.
Kightly could have given Wanderers a cushion in the 71st minute when he was put in the clear by Ebanks-Blake but his shot from 20-yards over the advancing Speroni was too high.
Ebanks-Blake was booked for clattering into Ben Watson but the striker was close to a third Wolves goal when he took a pass from Keogh and turned Lawrence before firing wide from the 18-yard line.
Shortly before the finish, Kightly raced through before hitting a venomous shot that was well wide of the mark.
Wolves: Hennessey, Foley. S. Ward, Henry (capt), Stearman, Collins, Kightly, Dave Jones (Edwards 28), Ebanks-Blake (Shackell 90), Keogh, Vokes (Gray 66).
Unused subs: Friend, Ikeme.
Bookings: Foley (68 - foul), Ebanks-Blake (75 - foul).
Palace: Speroni, Watson, Butterfield, Carle (McCarthy 89), Djilali, Derry (capt), Fonte, Scannell (Griffit 66), Hill, Ifill (Thomas 76), Lawrence.
Unused subs: Fletcher, Ertl.
Bookings: Hill (36 - foul), Lawrence (51 - foul).
Referee: S. Mathieson.
Attendance: 22,200.
Goldrush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Crystal Palace: 10 - 13 - 15 - 16
Goalden: Goal: 20 seconds.
