Town's impressive away form continued with a 0-0 draw at Molineux against Championship leaders Wolves. Both sides had chances with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake hitting the bar for the home side and Jon Stead missing a golden opportunity late on for the Blues.

Boss Jim Magilton made four changes from the team which lost 3-0 at home to Southampton last week. In came Ben Thatcher, Jon Walters, Iván Campo and Kevin Lisbie for Pablo Couñago, Jon Stead, Alex Bruce and suspended skipper Gareth McAuley. Tommy Miller took the captain's armband as the Blues lined-up 4-5-1 with Lisbie as the lone attacker.

Penalty area action was rare in the opening 15 minutes with a couple of wasted Wolves freekicks into the box the nearest thing to a chance for either side.

On 16 the home side failed to clear a David Wright freekick and Kevin Lisbie sent an overhead kick just wide.

Seven minutes later, David Jones forced Richard Wright to tip over his 25-yard freekick after Tommy Miller had been penalised for handball.

Jon Walters was replaced with Pablo Couñago in the 36th minute, the midfielder having picked up a leg knock in an awkward collision with Matthew Hill 10 minutes earlier. Town now switched to a 4-4-1-1 formation with Couñago playing deeper than Lisbie.

Kyel Reid went narrowly wide with a freekick from the edge of the box, prior to Ben Thatcher picking up the game's first yellow card for a foul on the loanee from West Ham.

In injury time, David Norris joined Thatcher in the book after referee Graham Salisbury adjudged a challenge on Christopher Berra to be a foul, although the Town midfielder clearly won the ball.

It had been a half of few chances at either end. Town had more than held their own against a Wolves side which seemed lacking in ideas and, without wingers Michael Kightly and Matt Jarvis, were a long way from the team which so impressed at Portman Road earlier in the season.

Former Grays man Kightly, who has been suffering with a hamstring problem, was introduced at the break for Reid.

Alan Quinn became the third Town player to be cautioned in the 54th minute for a couple of fouls in quick succession.

Wolves, with Kightly starting the half brightly, started to put on some pressure. On 58 Alan Quinn almost gifted Sylvan Ebanks-Blake a goal by laying the ball back to him in the area when he was trying to find David Norris as Town sought to clear an attack. Fortunately for the Blues, the former Plymouth man's shot struck the bar and came out to Kightly, who curled the rebound wide.

The Blues went straight up the other end and came close to scoring themselves. Couñago played a ball in to Lisbie and keeper Hennessey hesitated, allowing the former Charlton man a shot, which the Welsh international keeper saved with his feet.

The match was starting to liven up and in the 63rd minute Berra shot straight at Wright. Moments later, Jody Craddock picked up the first Wolves yellow card for a foul on Luciano Civelli.

Town appeared to have weathered the early second half storm. On 66 Thatcher sent in a freekick from deep which Pim Balkestein nodded down to Couñago. The Spaniard laid the ball off to David Norris, whose shot was deflected wide.

From the corner, Town went even closer, the nervous-looking Hennessey missing David Norris's loop back into the box and Kevin Foley bundling the ball away from in front of the goalline.

Referee Salisbury added David Wright's name to his book in the 67th minute for kicking the ball away after being harshly penalised for a foul on halfway as Wolves broke. Jon Stead replaced Kevin Lisbie for the final 18 minutes.

On 76 Kightly somewhat unconvincingly appealed for a penalty after Iván Campo had taken the ball away from him cleanly in a dangerous position inside the penalty area.

Town should have gone in front with seven minutes remaining. Miller sent in a freekick from deep on the right, the ball landing at Stead's feet as the Wolves defence ran out en masse. The linesman's flag stayed down, but Stead, who had been left in acres of space with time to pick his spot, appeared to assume a whistle was coming and unconvincingly clipped the ball wide of Hennessey and Berra was easily able to get back to clear.

The Blues were starting to look more and more of a danger on the break in the final minutes. Couñago hit a shot which deflected wide, then Civelli made a fine run down the left, sent a low ball to Couñago, who teed up Miller, Hennessey doing well to tip his shot over. From the corner, Civelli shot straight through to the Welsh keeper.

As injury time ran out, there was a final scare for the Blues, Stephen Ward chipping the ball beyond Richard Wright but wide.

A thoroughly deserved point for Town after another decent away performance based on a strong backline, this time without skipper Gareth McAuley. Pim Balkestein filled the captain's usual role admirably, winning header after header, while Iván Campo was his assured self beside him.

Aside from Ebanks-Blake's shot which hit the bar, which came from the sort of individual error which was so costly at Preston, Richard Wright wasn't overly tested, other than by the large number of balls pumped into the box, which he dealt with comfortably.

The display was a vast improvement on last week's home performance against Southampton and should see the Blues go to Reading on Saturday thinking that they can get something from the game.

Town: R Wright, D Wright, Thatcher, Balkestein, Campo, Miller, Quinn, Norris, Civelli, Walters (Couñago 36), Lisbie (Stead 72). Unused: Supple, Bruce, Garvan. Att: 22,227.

Photo: Action Images

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