Match report - Bristol City 1 Wolves 2
Wolves made it seven points out of nine with a deserved victory over Bristol City in driving rain at Ashton Gate.
Bakary Sako's 22nd-minute free kick – his second successive goal - gave the visitors the lead before he turned provider to set up Matt Doherty's 85th-minute winner.
And Wolves were reminded just how important Sako and Kevin Doyle are after excellent performances, particularly from the latter.
City's equaliser came from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after a mistake by Richard Stearman on 53.
It was the first conceded by Wolves in the league under head coach Kenny Jackett, from 233 minutes of play.
Not surprisingly, Jackett named an unchanged team from last week's 4-0 win against Gillingham.
That meant new signing Kevin McDonald started his Wolves career on the bench, where he was one of three changes with Aaron McCarey and George Elokobi in for Wayne Hennessey, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Liam McAlinden.
Inspired by the outstanding Doyle, Wolves, wearing their all-purple away kit, dominated the first half and were more convincing than their one-goal interval lead, with Bristol City keeper Frank Fielding the busiest man on the pitch.
Leigh Griffiths was first to try his luck in the sixth minute when he turned and fired a left-foot drive from 30 yards which Fielding parried away.
Three minutes later, Sako then lashed a shot straight into the keeper's chest after cutting inside.
There was an isolated opening for City in the 21st minute when the ball was worked into a central position for Jordan Wynter but the on-loan Arsenal midfielder blazed well over the bar from 20 yards.
But Wolves, who forced seven first-half corners, returned to the attack and Griffiths saw a header deflected over from close range from Sako's flag-kick in the 29th minute.
Within 60 seconds, Danny Batth headed wide at the far post from another Sako corner.
Doyle showed his confidence when he flicked the ball up and launched a volley from 35 yards on 37, forcing Fielding into an acrobatic save.
The Ireland international remained in the thick of things and saw another effort, this time a low drive, deflected wide off Brendan Moloney as Wolves controlled proceedings.
After Wolves forced two corners at the start of the second period, it was their turn to defend – and they ended up conceding for the first time in the league this season.
Sloppy work from Stearman saw the defender committed and lose out to Sam Baldock, who crossed for Thomas to calmly sidefoot the ball home from 12 yards out.
The goal completely changed the game and for a period, Wolves were hanging on as City took their cue to attack.
Baldock forced a flying save from Carl Ikeme then the keeper got a touch to the rebound blazed over following a loose ball after Stearman trapped a wayward shot in the 64th minute.
Then Aden Flint sent a diving header wide from point-blank range from Thomas's cross.
Wolves brought Bjorn Sigurdarson and Jake Cassidy on for Zeli Ismail and Griffiths, who had had a quiet game after his initial shot.
And the pair added power and energy to curb what had been a purple patch from the home side for the opening 15 minutes or so from the equaliser.
Wolves gradually worked their way back into the game, and after shots from Sako, Lee Evans and Davis were all blocked, the visitors grabbed the winner.
Doherty was the scorer, making a superb run to latch onto Sako's cross to volley an angled effort beyond Fielding.
The ball hit the underside of the bar and went in off Flint under pressure from Doyle running in.
The young Irishman is clearly in the goals after his double for Ireland Under-21s against the Faroe Islands in midweek.
Wolves, who handed a late debut to McDonald in the 86th minute for Doyle, had little trouble hanging on at the death, despite the four minutes of added time.
And they could have made it more emphatic, but Cassidy could only lob wide of an open goal from four yards out after cleverly lifting the ball over Fielding.
