Villa Reserves 3 Wolves Reserves 2

Stephen Hunt moved a step closer to full fitness with a run-out as a Nathan Delfouneso double helped Villa's reserves come from behind to beat Wolves' reserves.

Hunt, who is still waiting to make his debut having been sidelined since his arrival by a foot injury, played 72 minutes for the second string and staked his claim for a place in Mick McCarthy's squad to face Chelsea on Saturday.

The £3million summer signing was one of Wolves' stand-out performers at Villa Park with a typically industrious display out on the left, building on last week's 45-minute reserve run-out against Wigan.

But Hunt was unable to inspire Wolves to victory with three second-half Villa goals, two of them from Delfouneso and the first from Graham Burke, sandwiched in between early and late George Elokobi headers.

Both teams named strong line-ups for the clash and there was little to separate them in the early stages, with Nenad Milijas and Steve Sidwell both blazing over from the edge of the area.

Wolves came within a whisker of taking the lead on 13 minutes, however, when a Steven Mouyokolo header crept past the post.

But they had just another two minutes to wait for their goal when Milijas swung in a cross and Elokobi headed beyond unfortunate goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who lost his footing at the crucial moment.

It prompted a gutsy response from Villa and Wolves' Wayne Hennessey was the busier of the two goalkeepers for the remainder of the half - the Wales international making a fine save at full stretch to push away a low drive from Moustapha Salifou.

Sidwell made headlines last month when his challenge on Wolves' Adlene Guedioura left the midfielder with a fractured tibia, but it did not stop the Villa man getting stuck in.

Both he and Jelle van Damme had to be warned by referee Chris Knowles, after being involved in an ugly fracas following an over-zealous challenge by the Belgian.

The second-half most certainly belonged to Villa and they were level on 59 minutes when youngster Burke arrived at the back post to sweep home Sidwell's right-wing cross.

Then two goals in two minutes from Delfouneso swung the contest towards Kevin MacDonald's men.

Substitute Courtney Cameron began the move for the first, finding Delfouneso inside the box before the striker switched the ball to Jonathan Hogg, who rounded Hennessey and returned it to the England under-21 international to fire in.

And Delfouneso soon had his second, when Barry Bannan and Sidwell combined to find him on the left side of the box, the striker bamboozling his marker before drilling into the top-left corner with the aid of a slight deflection.

Wolves ensured there was a dramatic finale, when Elokobi capitalised on a goalmouth melee to head in for his second.

The full-back could have even had a hat-trick when the ball fell to him six yards out but, with the angle tight, he could only drag his effort into the side-netting.