Blackpool 1 Wolves 2 - match report

Carl Ikeme produced an inspirational performance as Wolves survived a late onslaught by Blackpool to make it three wins in four games to send their noisy fans home in the mood for Christmas.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored both goals for Stale Solbakken's side to inflict the first defeat in eight games in charge for Blackpool boss Michael Appleton.

Ebanks-Blake broke the deadlock with the first chance of the game in the third minute then doubled it with a 72^nd-minute penalty before Alex Baptiste made it a tense finish with an 89^th-minute header to reduce the arrears.

But in between Wolves' two goals, Ikeme, who failed to train yesterday because of a bug, made four superb saves, one in the first half from Thomas Ince, then three after the break from substitute Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Ince twice to keep Solbakken's side in front.

Victory lifted Wolves five places in the Championship up to 13^th before Saturday's fixtures and they now face successive home games against Peterborough on Boxing Day and Mick McCarthy's Ipswich in eight days' time.

As expected, Wolves made one change to the team beaten 2-0 at Middlesbrough last week, with Jermaine Pennant in for the injured Bjorn Sigurdarson on the right side of midfield.

Eggert Jonsson, who was put up for sale by Solbakken this week, took Pennant's place on the bench.

In a high-tempo opening which continued into the second half, Bakary Sako delayed a shooting chance in the opening minute before Wolves took the lead with the first attack of the game.

Pennant has struggled to impress since his loan move to Stoke but he had his best game in gold and black here, and he started it in sublime style, putting through Ebanks-Blake with a lovely pass to split the defence for the striker to fire low across keeper Matthew Gilks into the opposite corner for the opener.

But after an even period, Wolves were forced to defend for the final 15 minutes before the break as Blackpool looked to hit dangerman Ince every time they got the ball.

Ince showed why his former club Liverpool want to buy him back as he looked to attack Wolves at every opportunity.

The 20-year-old wideman should have scored in the 29^th minute but instead slid the ball wide with Ikeme to beat after beating Stephen Ward to a long ball.

Ince then turned provider, and seconds later, he teed up Tiago Gomes to smack a low first-time effort against the foot of Ikeme's near post.

But Ikeme produced perhaps his best save in the 34^th minute to foil Ince.

Gomes put the winger clean through but the keeper spread himself superbly to block the shot, and Wesley Thomas headed over the rebound.

Wolves recovered from some heavy pressure to force a rare opening themselves just before half-time when Kevin Doyle put through Ebanks-Blake on the angle for a rising shot that seemed to scrape the bar.

Blackpool returned to the attack and Christophe Berra conceded a free kick when Wesley Thomas fell over inches outside the area in time added on at the end of the first half.

But if Wolves thought they had weathered Blackpool's storm with the referee's half-time whistle, they were mistaken.

Virtually from the restart, the Tangerines bombarded the visitors' goal as Ince fired a rising effort just wide that took a deflection after Gomes again threaded him through two minutes into the second half.

Then Ikeme foiled Blackpool three times in a matter of seconds on 50 and 51 minutes.

First he tipped away Taylor-Fletcher's glancing header from Nathan Delfouneso's cross, then he was at full stretch to palm away a viciously curling effort from Ince before getting a hand to another Ince shot.

Within seconds, Gomes' corner hit the base of the post as Wolves rode their luck.

But then came the moment that gave the visitors some priceless breathing space.

The under-used Sako showed Chris Basham some dazzling footwork on the left and the Blackpool right back tugged the winger's shirt as he dribbled into the penalty area, and although it didn't stop him getting the cross in, referee David Coote saw enough of the infringement to award a penalty.

And Ebanks-Blake needed no second invitation to blast the ball down the centre of the goal to make it 2-0.

That seemed to have extinguished any hopes of a Blackpool comeback, and Ebanks-Blake should have claimed his first hat-trick in almost four years in the 88^th minute when substitute David Davis put him through and he rounded keeper Matthew Gilks only for the ball to bobble up and he ballooned the ball over with the goal at his mercy.

By now Wolves nemesis Kevin Phillips was on the field as a 75^th-minute substitute for Angel, and although he didn't get his customary goal, Blackpool went up the other end and Baptiste headed home from almost on the line from sub Nouha Dicko's cross after Ikeme had saved again.

But Wolves hung on for a crucial three points.