Town moved up to second in the league with a 2-1 home win over Wolves. The Blues went two-up through Darren Bent and a Tommy Miller penalty before Seyi Olofinjana pulled one back for the visitors. Stoke's victory over Derby later in the evening saw the Blues drop back down to third.

The Blues lined-up as they did at Rotherham, fielding a 4-4-2 formation at home for the first time this season.

Town started strongly and Kevin Horlock had a header from a corner save before Darren Bent flicked the ball wide of Paul Jones's post.

On 10 Shefki Kuqi almost latched on to a Westlake shot across the face of goal, while at the other end Clarke hit a weak shot to Davis, although Town felt that Drissa Diallo had been fouled earlier in the move.

Kuqi hit an audacious overhead effort from the edge of the box wide, prior to a superb interchange of passes involving Magilton and Miller saw the former Hartlepool man through, but his shot deflected over. From the half-cleared corner Magilton shot wide.

Town were thoroughly in control and playing their best football of the season, Jim Magilton and the increasingly impressive Kevin Horlock running things in midfield.

There was a scare for the Blues on 20 when Lee Naylor crossed from the left, Shaun Newton scrambling the ball wide at the far post when he ought to have done better.

Tommy Miller might have scored in the 24th minute when the ball was cleared to him inside the box but keeper Paul Jones blocked his shot.

Soon after, Darren Bent seized on Jason De Vos's header from a Jim Magilton corner, turning quickly but putting his shot wide.

Three minutes later Kenny Miller was set away ahead of two Town defenders but failed to beat Kelvin Davis with a weak strike.

But just before the half hour Town went ahead. Magilton curled a cross in from the right and Darren Bent somehow bundled the ball past Jones via his shoulder from eight yards out, possibly with some assistance from a defender.

Paul Ince shot wide for the visitors, before Town skipper Jim Magilton ended a break from Bent and Kuqi but shooting on to the roof of the net.

Tommy Miller must have thought he had scored in the 38th minute when his snapshot struck the bar and appeared to bounce down on the line and out again.

As the half drew to a close, Wilnis crossed from the left and Kuqi headed powerfully towards Jones's top corner, the keeper doing fantastically well to get and hand to the ball and deflect it over the bar.

It had been a superb first half display by the Blues against one of the sides tipped to be amongst the challengers at the top of the division this season. Wolves had been thoroughly outplayed and it wouldn't have been a surprise if the Blues had gone in three or four goals up at the break.

No changes for Town at half-time, but Wolves introduced Kevin Cooper for Colin Cameron.

The Blues almost went two up within two minutes of the restart. Westlake found Bent wide on the right, the Charlton target crossing towards Kuqi at the far post. The Finn got a toe to the ball from a yard or so out but could only stab it against the post when it was probably easier to score.

It could have been a miss which the Blues would rue, however, a second goal came only two minutes later. Kuqi chased a ball played down the right by Bent, running in between Lee Naylor and Joleon Lescott, the latter hauling him to the ground inside the area.

Referee Phil Crossley had been loath to give Town a decision all afternoon and it took the intervention of his assistant before he pointed to the spot. Tommy Miller hit the ball low and hard to Jones's left and into the net for his fourth goal of the season.

From there Town seemed happy to sit back on their two-goal lead and let Wolves have more of the ball than they had up to that stage.

On 53, Seyi Olofinjana headed a corner over the bar when unmarked and this should have served as a warning to the Blues as a minute later the Nigerian pulled a goal back for his new club.

Kevin Horlock was rather harshly penalised for a foul on Cooper on the Wolves left, Lee Naylor quickly sending in a freekick and, with the Town defence still organising themselves, Olofinjana heading home from close range.

The goal gave the visitors a boost and they improved vastly in the last half hour. Paul Ince picked up his customary booking for a late tackle on Ian Westlake, and pushed things a little a few minutes later when he kicked out at Shefki Kuqi.

Wolves were enjoying far more of the ball but were rarely threatening Kelvin Davis's goal, Richard Naylor and Jason De Vos providing solid resistance at the centre of Town's defence.

Lee Naylor's 25-yard shot was little trouble for Davis on 67, while at the other end Kuqi almost got a toe to Jim Magilton's left wing cross.

The Northern Irishman was replaced with Tony Dinning soon after, to rapturous applause from the home support. Soon after, Fabian Wilnis was booked for a foul on Wolves sub Dean Sturridge.

With 11 minutes remaining, Kuqi saw Jones off his line when 40 yards out but put his shot wide. The Finn again just failed to get a toe on a cross with six minutes remaining, this time it was Bent's pass which flashed across the Wolves box.

On 88, Westlake did well not only to keep the ball in play but managed to cut it back to Miller on the edge of the box. Town's penalty expert hit a decent effort which Jones saved well.

Despite an occasionally nervy last half hour, it was a largely comfortable win for Town. The first half saw the Blues play the best 45 minutes of football so far this season, with confidence looking high amongst the midfield and strikers.

Town really ought to have been more than a goal up at the break and could have been four or five to the good prior to Wolves' goal. Olofinjana's header gave the visitors hope but, despite having a lot of the ball, Kelvin Davis was rarely forced into the kind of heroics seen in some of Town's earlier fixtures.

Four home games, four wins, only one defeat away from home, six points over the Bank Holiday and up to third in the table. For once the Blues have got off to the kind of start we were all hoping for.

Town: Davis, Diallo, Wilnis, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton (Dinning 70), Horlock, Miller, Westlake, Bent, Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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