Wolves 0
Ipswich Town 0
A hard fought contest between Wolves and Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich finished without a goal with Jon Dadi Bodvarsson seeing his first half penalty saved whilst Freddie Sears's header for the Tractor Boys was strangely ruled offside following a corner.
Walter Zenga made just the one change to the side that had beaten Reading at the weekend with Kortney Hause returning to partner Danny Batth in central defence. Dominic Iorfa returned to the full back slot and Conor Coady moved into midfield with George Saville dropping down to the bench.
Wolves kicked-off attacking the North Bank end and it was the home side that enjoyed the majority of the early jousting although there were no clear cut chances to talk about at either end.
A great ball from Coady sent Joe Mason away on the right but no-one was able to get on the end of his lofted cross and, when Ipswich threatened, Carl Ikeme had to turn away a dangerous cross from Grant Ward that was destined for the head of Daryl Murphy.
After Hause was booked for clipping Ward on the right of the home area, Teddy Bishop’s free-kick was pushed out by Ikeme to the far side where another foul was committed. Bishop again took the kick which this time drifted harmlessly out of play beyond the far post.
Wolves were awarded a 23rd minute penalty after Adam Webster had tripped Bodvarsson. The Icelandic striker took the kick himself but Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski guessed correctly diving to his right to turn the ball away.
Town won two Bishop corners in quick succession and Wolves were lucky to come out on the right side of a marginal offside decision from the second of them after Sears had headed into the corner of the net.
The visitors, after a slow start, were by now causing problems and Bishop wasted a decent chance shooting high over the bar from just outside the box after he had been given time and space.
In stoppage time Bishop took a free-kick from near the right-hand corner flag and one time Molineux defender Christophe Berra ran in to power a header a fraction wide.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Ipswich 0
Savlle replaced Dave Edwards at the start of the second half which was two minutes old when Joao Teixeira planted a shot narrowly off target.
Bishop went into the book following an untidy challenge on Teixeira and the Town man was replaced shortly afterwards by Kevin Bru.
Bodvarsson had taken a couple of knocks and he was replaced by Helder Costa midway through the half. After Grant had struck a low 25-yard effort wide, Jonas Knudsen saw yellow after he had felled Teixeira.
Costa almost broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a tremendous hooked volley from the edge of the area that drew an equally good save from Bialkowski.
Teixeira became the second home player to be booked for dissent after a Saville foul on Chambers, before Matt Doherty almost did the trick firing just wide after he had taken a return pass from Mason. Chambers was booked for obstructing Doherty moments later.
In the 90th minute Ipswich almost snatched the win. A deep free-kick was punted into the box and Ikeme looked to be fouled as he lost his grip. The ball was prodded towards the empty net and Batth came to the rescue heading clear.
In stoppage time both Bru and Berra were yellow carded for blocking clearances from Ikeme.
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Iorfa, Edwards (Saville 45), Batth (capt), Hause, Teixeira (Wallace 84), Evans, Bodvarsson (Costa 65), Mason, Coady.
Unused subs: Lonergan, Henry, Price, Deslandes.
Bookings: Hause (20 – foul), Teixeira (75 – dissent).
Town: Bialkowski, Knudsen, Chambers (capt), Berra, Bishop (Bru 56), Skuse, Murphy, Webster, Ward, Sears (Varney 90+2), Douglas.
Unused subs: Gerken, Smith, Varney, Dozzell, Emmanuel, Kenlock.
Bookings: Bishop (54 – foul), Knudsen (72 – foul), Chambers (82 – obstruction), Bru (90+1 – obstructing keeper), Berra (90+3 – obstructing keeper).
Referee: P. Bankes.
Attendance: 19,991.
