Crystal Palace 0
Wolves 1 (Ebanks-Blake-pen 74)
A Sylvan Ebanks-Blake penalty gave Wolves a deserved win over Crystal Palace after a much improved performance from Mick McCarthy's men.
And with rivals Reading coming from behind to win at Sheffield Wednesday, the points helped Wolves maintain their lead at the top of the Championship table.
George Friend was preferred to Kyel Reid on the left of midfield and Chris Iwelumo played alongside Ebanks-Blake with Andy Keogh dropping down to the bench. With Stephen Ward ruled out through injury, Matt Hill played at left-back.
Torrential rain and strong winds greeted the teams as they ran out at Selhurst Park and in the difficult conditions the opening 15 minutes came and went without so much as a sniff of a chance for either side.
But then a mix up between Clint Hill and Jose Fonte in the home area led to Iwelumo gaining possession and laying the ball off for Ebanks-Blake to hit a low shot that was saved by the diving Julian Speroni.
In the 19th minute Iwelumo looked a certainty to score as Michael Kightly delivered a low cross towards the far post but Clint Hill just managed to deflect the ball away from the striker.
Ebanks-Blake hit a 25-yard drive straight at Speroni and then a Kightly effort from the edge of the box was deflected for a corner that was taken by Friend.
From the flag-kick a defender headed the ball straight back to the Wolves man who ran into the area before finding Dave Edwards who was shoved in the back by Fonte. It looked like a penalty but the referee waved aside the appeals.
Sean Scannell only received a lecture from the official after he had clattered into Matt Hill and when Kightly lifted the free-kick into the box Christophe Berra looked to be pulled back by Matt Lawrence.
The ball ran to Iwelumo whose shot from 12-yards took a deflection allowing Speroni to make a sprawling save.
Clint Hill tripped Ebanks-Blake to the right of the home area but Kightly's free-kick was caught by the wind and it drifted harmlessly over the bar.
Palace almost moved ahead in the 37th minute when Jody Craddock, in attempting to clear Scannell's driven cross, touched the ball against the base of his own post. It was the first threat on Wayne Hennessey's goal.
Wolves were soon back on the attack and twice before the interval they went close to breaking through.
Friend was a whisker away from connecting with a low cross from Kightly who had run onto Ebanks-Blake's nicely weighted pass on the right flank.
Then Iwelumo headed on a long ball out of defence to Karl Henry who would have been clean through had Clint Hill not timed his last ditch tackle to perfection.
Half-Time: Palace 0 Wolves 0
The woodwork came to Wolves' rescue once again with 51 minutes gone after Craddock had fouled Hill on the Palace left.
Paul Ifill's free-kick slithered along the sodden surface through a crowded box and Hennessey was at full stretch as he touched the ball onto the post before Friend turned it behind for a corner that came to nothing.
Berra went into the book for a tackle from behind on Alan Lee before Palace replaced Scannell with Anthony Stokes.
Ifill ran through and was in with a chance as the ball held up in the wind but Hennessey managed to deflect it away as the players met on the 18-yard line. Two minutes later a shot from Ifill took a deflection as it flew through the Wolves box and went behind off a defender for a corner.
Lawrence went into the book for sending Ebanks-Blake sliding into the mud at the side of the pitch and shortly afterwards Craddock was shown the yellow card after a similar offence on Stokes in exactly the same spot.
Palace made a further change when John Oster was sent on in place of Lee Hills before Wolves finally broke through with 74th minutes gone.
Kightly broke clear and sprinted into the box and was about to shoot when he was felled by Clint Hill from behind. Ebanks-Blake kept his nerve sending Speroni the wrong was as he rolled the ball into the net.
A minute later Kightly almost grabbed a second as he connected with Friend's deep cross but from a tight angle he was only able to divert the ball into the side netting.
Jamie Scowcroft was the last of the home side's substitutes when he went on for Lee, and after Friend had poked the ball wide following a Kightly cross, Keogh replaced Ebanks-Blake for the closing minutes.
Matt Hill was cautioned for time wasting and Iwelumo was hurt as he was challenged going for Keogh's low centre. The striker was replaced by Sam Vokes.
In the four minutes of added time Henry was yellow carded for kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick, and Kightly, who had enjoyed a fine game, was replaced by Richard Stearman as Wolves held their nerve and claimed a vital victory.
Palace: Speroni, Lawrence, C. Hill, Derry (capt), Fonte, Lee (Scowcroft 78), Scannell (Stokes 61), Hills (Oster 67), Danns, Ifill, Clyne.
Unused subs: Ertl, R. Fonte.
Booking: Lawrence (64 - foul).
Wolves: Hennessey, Foley, M. Hill, Henry (capt), Craddock, Berra, Kightly (Stearman 90), Edwards, Ebanks-Blake (Keogh 84), Iwelumo (Vokes 89), Friend.
Unused subs: D. Ward, Reid.
Bookings: Berra (56 - foul), Craddock (66 - foul), Hill (86 - time-wasting), Henry (90 - kicking ball away).
Referee: G. Horwood.
Attendance: 14,907 (1,421 away supporters).
