Wolves 2 (Iwelumo 29, 66)

Blackpool 0

Chris Iwelumo, with his 12^th and 13^th goals of the season, helped Wolves secure a convincing victory against Blackpool. It was a sixth straight win for the table toppers.

Mick McCarthy was forced to make three changes to his team. With Carlos Edwards having been recalled by parent club Sunderland, Karl Henry suspended and Michael Mancienne ruled out through illness, the manager drafted in Michael Gray, Dave Edwards and Neill Collins as their replacements.

Iwelumo was handed the captain's armband in the absence of Henry whilst former Wolves defender Rob Edwards skippered the Seasiders. Another familiar face to Wolves supporters in the visiting team was that of Mo Camara.

Blackpool kicked-off attacking the North Bank end and within 30 seconds Steve Kabba tested Carl Ikeme with a long range shot.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake completely miscued his shot from just inside the Blackpool box after taking a pass from Dave Edwards with the ball going out for a throw-in on the far side.

But Wolves twice went close to taking the lead in the eighth minute after Gary Taylor-Fletcher had tripped Stephen Ward to the left of the area.

Michael Kightly fired over the free-kick and Iwelumo's header bounced off the crossbar. The ball fell to Gray and his short cross as met by Richard Stearman whose close range header was brilliantly turned over by Paul Rachubka.

After a free-kick was conceded by Stearman for a foul on Adam Hammill in a similar position at the other end, Hammill drove over a dangerous ball that Ikeme coolly plucked out of the air.

Alan Gow looked to be clean through on goal until Ward, with a perfectly timed tackle, saved the day at the expense of a corner which came to nothing.

Dave Edwards was wide with a shot from fully 35-yards and Stearman was off target with a diving header following a Dave Jones free-kick.

Ian Evatt cleared Ebanks-Blake's low cross from the heart of the Blackpool goalmouth and then, after Kightly's centre had been helped on, Stearman's header drifted across the face of Rachubka's goal and inches wide of the far post.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 29^th minute following Kevin Foley's long throw. Stearman headed the ball on and when Evatt's header went straight up in the air, Iwelumo took a touch with his right foot as it dropped before volleying home from 10-yards out (pictured).

Jones let fly with a terrific shot from 30-yards but his effort was too close to Rachubka and then, shortly before the break, Lee Hendrie went into the book after he had illegally halted Ward's surging run through the heart of the Blackpool defence. Kightly's free-kick bounced clear off the defensive wall.

Half-Time: Wolves 1 Blackpool 0

Just two minutes after the restart Gow wasted the chance of levelling the game when he fired wide from in front of goal after Taylor-Fletcher had run in from the left and pulled the ball back.

Ebanks-Blake was denied by Edwards' last ditch tackle as the two raced towards Rachubka's goal. When the danger wasn't properly cleared, Kightly returned the ball into the box where Gray ran in and shot over the bar.

In a rare Blackpool attack, Rob Edwards' overhead kick was blocked following Gow's corner and Hammill was high and wide when he ran onto the rebound.

Seconds later Stearman limped off to be replaced by Jason Shackell. And the former Norwich man was soon called into action as he made a fine clearance from Gow after Hammill had pulled the ball back.

Dave Edwards was yellow carded for tugging at Hammill's shirt before Wolves went two up in the 66^th minute.

Rachubka flapped at Kightly's corner and, when Evatt failed to clear, Iwelumo swivelled to ram the ball into the net from just a yard out.

Andy Keogh replaced Ebanks-Blake before the game restarted.

Ikeme cut out a dangerous driven cross from Gow and when the home side went forward again Evatt cleared in a nick of time as Dave Edwards raced into the box onto Iwelumo's short pass.

Wolves had a complete stranglehold on the game as it entered its final phase. Rachubka made another excellent save, this time from Kightly, and then he held onto a header from Foley.

The American then he deflected away an angled effort from Keogh who had jinked his way past two defenders as he cut in from the right.

Evatt went into the book for a late challenge on Kightly who took the resultant free-kick from just outside the area, but was too high with his effort.

Sam Vokes, a late substitute for Iwelumo, had three chances to get on the scoresheet in the three minutes of added time. He hooked the ball wide after Kightly's shot had been blocked, he was thwarted by yet another fine save by Rachubka, and he headed narrowly wide following a Kightly corner in the last seconds.

Wolves: Ikeme, Foley, Ward, D. Edwards, Stearman (Shackell 54), Collins, Kightly, Jones, Ebanks-Blake (Keogh 67), Iwelumo (capt) (Vokes 79), Gray.

Unused subs: Hennessey, Potter.

Booking: Edwards (63 - foul).

Blackpool: Rachubka, Southern (Fox 70), Evatt, Hammill, Taylor-Fletcher, Kabba (Burgess 70), Baptiste, R. Edwards (capt), Camara, Hendrie, Gow (McPhee 75).

Unused subs: Jorgensen, Barker.

Bookings: Hendrie (44 - foul), Evatts (89 - foul).

Referee: A. D'Urso.

Attendance: 22,044.

Manchester City Academy Under 18s 1 Wolves 1 (Bennett)

Golden Rush Lucky 4 Half-Time Draw v Blackpool: 1- 7 - 8 - 16.

Golden Goal Time: 28 minutes 48 seconds.