Town fell to their fourth successive defeat as Stephen Ward's first half goal was enough see Wolves take three points away from Portman Road. The Blues enjoyed spells of domination but Owen Garvan's header off the cross bar was as near as the home side would come to a goal.

Boss Jim Magilton switched his side back to a 4-4-2 formation with Alan Lee and Jon Walters returning up front and Danny Haynes dropping to the bench. Vindicated George O'Callaghan was left out of the 16, while Owen Garvan was on the bench after his suspension. At the back, Jason De Vos returned after recovering from his cracked metatarsal with Chris Casement dropping to substitute.

Town started brightly and Jon Walters sent Alan Lee away in the fifth minute but former England U21 keeper Matt Murray was equal to the Irishman's strike from the right of the area.

The two strikers combined again on 11, an interchange of passes ending with Matt Richards hitting a shot straight at Murray.

Lewis Price did well to stop the Blues going behind in the 14th minute when a Michael McIndoe shot deflected off Alex Bruce. The Town keeper reacted quickly to the deflection and pushed the ball away, Dan Harding putting the ball behind.

But in the main it was Town and a minute later a deep Jaime Peters cross was met by Alan Lee at the far post but Murray claimed the looping ball.

The Blues continued to have the better of it but didn't threaten the Wolves goal again until the 28th minute when Jaime Peters's shot was well saved by the commanding Murray.

Wolves went in front in the 33rd minute when David Wright underhit a back pass which Lewis Price didn't appear to be expecting with former Town target Stephen Ward in close attention. The ex-Bohemians striker seized on the loose ball and slipped the ball past Price from a tight angle. It was a poor mistake from Wright, who appeared not to have spotted Ward before playing the ball back.

The Blues continued to press at the other end, Murray saving Lee's header from a Walters cross, then Gary Roberts shooting wide from the edge of the area. The ex-Accrington man saw a freekick deflect over off a wall after Alan Lee had been fouled, before Ward headed Michael Kightly's cross straight to Price.

Town didn't really deserve to go in a goal down at the break, but again a lack of composure in and around the penalty area had seen chances missed, while another individual error was to blame for a conceded goal.

The Blues felt they might have won a penalty in the 55th minute when Alan Lee appeared to be hauled down as a corner was sent in from the right, but referee Scott Mathieson was unmoved.

Wolves were looking a better side after the break and it took another excellent Lewis Price save to stop Kightly's shot from the right, the former Grays Athletic man having been found in acres of space.

A quick break from Peters and Walters in the 58th minute was mis-hit over the bar by Richards, then Lee nodded down a Harding cross and Roberts sent the ball into the top tier of the North Stand. Both looked to be decent chances.

Rob Edwards did well to get in ahead of Lee after Peters had dummied a cross from the left, referee Mathieson surprisingly awarding a goalkick. Soon after Jim Magilton made a double switch, Danny Haynes taking over from Alan Lee and Owen Garvan coming on for Gary Roberts with Matt Richards moving to the left. Roberts had had a lot of the ball but had failed to provide the required quality of delivery into the box.

Garvan immediately made an impact on the game lashing a 25-yard effort which was too close to Murray. Shortly afterwards, Haynes sent a powerful ball across the Wolves box but ahead of Walters and Richards.

Murray did well to save Walters's 20-yard strike to his left, play quickly moving to the other end where Price made a similarly impressive stop from Andy Keogh.

Town were within a whisker of getting back on terms in the 78th minute when Owen Garvan headed a deep Matt Richards corner over keeper Murray but off the cross bar. The loose ball fell to Richards, but his cross-shot was blocked.

As the game entered its final 10 minutes, Kightly again found space down the Wolves right but his cross was just beyond Ward. Billy Clarke was added to the Town attack and Sylvain Legwinski withdrawn as the Blues continued to look for the equaliser.

Michael McIndoe shot wide for the visitors, then a Peters cross was just too high for Walters and Haynes and slipped agonisingly past the far post.

A game Town should not have lost, the Blues having more than enough opportunities to score, 11 shots on target, 11 off and nine corners. While Wolves keeper Matt Murray was probably his side's man of the match, too often the Blues lacked composure in and around the penalty area and on top of the missed chances too many crosses lacked quality.

Recent signing Jon Walters showed more invention up front and looks to be settling into the side but, like the team as a whole, looks like he needs a goal. Danny Haynes made his usual impact from the bench, while Owen Garvan seemed rejuvenated by his recent enforced rest.

David Wright's error was costly and the former Wigan man looked reluctant to play the ball back to his keeper for the remainder of the game in case he repeated his mistake. But tonight's blunder aside, Wright has looked a good acquisition since making his move from the JJB in January.

A performance by no means as poor as those at Palace and against Leicester, but not as heartening as Saturday's at Watford. Converting long spells of possession into goals and in turn into points remains Town's main problem.

Town: Price, Wright, Harding, De Vos, Bruce, Legwinski (Clarke 81), Richards, Peters, Roberts, Lee, Walters. UnusedL Supple, Casement. Att: 20,602.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls