Southampton 1 (Pearce 21)
Wolves 2 (Iwelumo 8, Jones 18)
Early goals by Chris Iwelumo and Dave Jones proved to be enough to give Wolves their first win over Southampton in 28 years.
The Saints replied through Alex Pearce and even though they were reduced to ten men for the entire second-half following the dismissal of Jason Euell, the Championship strugglers heaped pressure on the Wanderers defence.
But Mick McCarthy's men held on for the win to maintain their lead at the top of the table as they hit the 40 points mark with a little over a third of the season gone.
Wolves were unchanged for the game as Southampton kicked-off attacking the end of St Mary's that housed almost 3,000 visiting supporters.
Saints made a lively start and when a third minute corner from Adam Lallana dropped to Morgan Schneiderlin, the Frenchman drove over the bar from 20-yards.
A Jones free-kick after Iwelumo had been fouled was cleared before Wolves moved into an eighth minute lead.
Michael Kightly's corner was pushed back to Carlos Edwards whose cross was powerfully headed home by Iwelumo with Kelvin Davis in the home goal getting a touch but failing to keep the ball out. It was Wolves' first ever goal at St Mary's.
Two minutes later it should have been two. Edwards again supplied the centre and Iwelumo allowed the ball to run through to Kightly who clipped his shot inches wide of the far post with Davis beaten.
Carl Ikeme denied Saints an equaliser when he blocked superbly from David McGoldrick who had taken a return pass from Jason Euell and hit a low shot from 12-yards.
But Wolves had dominated and they went two up in the 18th minute through Jones who took a touch to control the ball after Edwards had delivered a low cross, before hitting a left-foot shot past Davis.
Jack Cork threw himself into the way of a goalbound shot from Iwelumo after good work from Kightly had set up the chance, before Southampton pulled a goal back in the 21st minute. Lallana fired over a corner from the right and Pearce ran in to power home a header from just six-yards out.
Andrew Surman's first time long range shot was fielded comfortably by Ikeme and then Olly Lancashire was yellow carded after he had tripped Edwards.
Davis made a fine save as he tipped over a volley from Jones after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's cross had been half cleared to the edge of the area. From Jones's corner the ball fell to Karl Henry who hit a first time shot inches wide of the far post.
David McGoldrick lifted a lob high and wide and, at the other end, Kevin Foley was thwarted by Davis when he ventured forward and hit a low drive from just outside the home box.
Rudi Skacel volleyed wide after Stephen Ward had headed out Oscar Gobern's cross before Southampton were reduced to ten men just before the break.
Euell and Richard Stearman both went in for the ball and when the Wolves' defender went down the referee immediately dismissed the Saints striker.
Half-Time: Saints 1 Wolves 2
Just nine seconds after the restart Davis needed two attempts to cling on to a left footed shot from Edwards.
But the Wolves' goal had a lucky escape in the 51st minute as home substitute Bradley Wright-Phillips drove against the inside of the post from 18-yards. The ball bounced back into the heart of the six-yard box where Henry was in position to clear.
Kightly fell back in defence and did well to block as Skatcel homed in on goal after taking a pass from Surman.
Michael Mancienne then became the first visiting player to go into the book after he had fouled Schneiderlin.
Skacel's 30-yard free-kick flew straight into the arms of Ikeme before, with the half at its midway point, Andy Keogh was sent on place of Ebanks-Blake.
The Irish striker was soon in the thick of things as he laid the ball back to Jones who tried to pick his spot from the 18-yard line but saw his shot well saved by Davis.
The Saints keeper then kept out a Foley header after Edwards had supplied another cross from the left, and Southampton went close as McGoldrick only managed to divert the ball wide of the near post from close quarters after Wright-Phillips had sent in a low centre.
Jones headed a foot wide after he had met a centre from Ward and, after Skacel and Henry both received the yellow card for dissent, optimistic home appeals for a penalty following Stearman's challenge on McGoldrick were waved away by the referee.
Six minutes from the end, after a run through the Southampton half, Ward passed to Keogh who laid the ball into the path of Henry. Davis threw himself sideways to save the skipper's shot with Keogh firing the rebound over the bar.
In stoppage time Sam Vokes replaced Kightly and he almost made his mark against the team he supported as a boy but his shot hit the side netting after he had been set up by fellow substitute Dave Edwards.
Southampton: Davis (capt), Skacel, Cork, Lancashire (Perry 51), Pearce, Euell, Surman, Gobern (Wright-Phillips 45), Lallana, Schneiderlin (Robertson 85), McGoldrick.
Unused subs: Wotton, Forecast.
Bookings: Lancashire (29 - foul), Surman (71 - dissent), Skacel (76 - dissent).
Sending-Off: Euell (43 - foul).
Wolves: Ikeme, Foley, Ward, Henry (capt), Stearman, Mancienne, Kightly (Vokes 90), Jones, Ebanks-Blake (Keogh 67), Iwelumo, C. Edwards (D. Edwards 85).
Unused subs: Hennessey, Collins.
Bookings: Mancienne (55 - foul), Henry (78 - dissent).
Referee: L. Mason.
Attendance: 17,812 (2,920 away supporters).
West Bromwich Albion 1 Wolves Academy Under 18s 2 (Davis, Winnall)
