Sunderland 1 Wolves 3

Wolves clinched back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a clinical victory at Sunderland.

It will go to the final day, however, after Blackpool beat Bolton in a seven-goal thriller, but Mick McCarthy's side's third away win of the season left them looking forward to the curtain call at home to Blackburn next week with confidence.

Wolves were second best for much of the first-half but took the lead with their first attack through former Sunderland defender Jody Craddock in the 23rd minute.

Boudewijn Zenden had earlier hit the post for Sunderland, while Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey saved from Stephane Sessegnon.

After Jamie O'Hara hit the bar, Sessegnon levelled the scores but second-half headers from Steven Fletcher- his fifth in five games - and George Elokobi clinched it for the visitors.

It came on a day when Kevin Doyle made his comeback as a 71st minute substitute for Fletcher.

Not surprisingly, boss McCarthy named an unchanged line-up from the side that beat Albion 3-1 last Sunday.

Doyle was the one alteration on the bench at the expense of Sam Vokes.

Sunderland were effectively playing a reserve side with 12 players out, 11 of whom were injured while on-loan Sulley Muntari has been sent back to Inter Milan because one more appearance would have triggered his permanent transfer.

They made one change from the team that beat Bolton 2-1 last weekend which saw Cristian Riveros recalled for hamstring victim Anton Ferdinand.

Wolves started the game looking to continue where they left off last week as Stephen Hunt – after seven seconds - and Michael Mancienne were penalised for going in late.

But, in contrast to the derby, this one took a while to warm up and when it did, it was Sunderland who took the initiative – and almost scored in the ninth minute.

Zenden struck a rising 30-yarder against the post, taking advantage of the space in front of him, after a square pass from Jordan Henderson.

A minute later, the depleted hosts had another chance when lone striker Sessegnon slid in to convert Ahmed Elmohady's cross but, thankfully for Wolves, he was a fraction too late and missed the ball.

Wolves won the game's first corner in the 17th minute but, from it, Sunderland immediately broke to force Hennessey to race out of his box to get his knee to a clearance, with Henderson bearing down on him after Sessegnon had released him.

Hennessey had to dive full length to turn away an effort from the edge of the box by Phil Bardsley, who had weaved his way forward from left-back in the 19th minute.

It had been all Sunderland but Wolves took the lead out of the blue, just after the mid-point of the first half.

It came from Craddock, who showed the composure of a striker to volley home from the corner of the six-yard box from Stephen Hunt's measured left-wing cross, after Karl Henry had won two challenges just outside the box following Wolves' second corner.

After a brief delay to allow treatment to Fletcher, Sunderland returned to the attack and Riveros wasted a chance, wanting too much time after Bardsley freed him on the edge of the area.

Wolves responded with a chance of their own as O'Hara burst forward and rifled a shot against the bar from 25 yards, with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet beaten.

But Sunderland responded again and, this time, levelled from their second successive corner in the 34th minute.

Sessegnon punished poor defending to stab home unmarked at the far post, after Zenden's inswinging corner had been missed by a clutch of players at the near post and then Elokobi was beaten by the bounce on the edge of the six-yard box.

With heavy rain now falling, Wolves made a positive substitution at half-time with the introduction of Matt Jarvis for Adlene Guedioura on the right wing.

After Hennessey superbly tipped over Steed Malbranque's dipping effort, the switch paid quick dividends when Wolves regained the lead.

Jarvis took on Bardsley and chiselled out a fine cross for Fletcher to rise above John Mensah and head home at the far post.

It was Fletcher's sixth in eight, becoming the first Wolves player since John Richards in 1980-81 to make it to double figures in the top-flight.

Wolves remained in the ascendancy and threatened a third goal on 59 minutes, when O'Hara's shot hit the heels of Bardsley and Jarvis had a shot blocked in the melee that followed.

Wolves' introduction of Doyle almost paid off immediately, as the £6.5million striker won a corner which from which Hunt's flag-kick was headed powerfully inches over by Elokobi.

But Elokobi got his angles spot-on in Wolves' next attack on 78 minutes, glancing in O'Hara's swirling free kick with a superb downward header.