Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 Middlesbrough 2

A GOALFEST at Molineux did not go the way of visitors Middlesbrough as Wolverhampton Wanderers took a vital victory in their bid for safety – further damaging Boro's own claims for the Championship play-offs.

Kevin Doyle scored the winning goal after Wolves saw their lead cut out on two occasions by Grant Leadbitter, who scored after Stephen McManus' own goal and Bjorn Sigurdarson's second-half effort.

The defeat for Tony Mowbray's men puts a further dent in the Teessiders' play-off hopes, despite results on Friday night largely favouring Boro.

Wolves took a 17th minute late against the run of play when Stephen Hunt whipped a left-sided cross in. Jason Steele came to claim, missed, and McManus was powerless to avoid the cross diverting into the back of the net via his knee.

Boro did not let their heads drop, however, and were on terms eight minutes later when Lukas Jutkiewicz' shot was palmed out by Wolves goalkeeper Dorus De Vries and Leadbitter rifled in off the crossbar. Referee Tony Bates allowed play to go on for some seconds after before realising his linesman had awarded the goal.

The goals had come after Boro had enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges, with a Scott McDonald shot being deflected goalwards, only to be denied by De Vries.

Justin Hoyte hit the crossbar with a rising shot from 30 yards after a chance by Mustapha Carayol broke down.

And after the goals came, it was Boro who went in at the interval the stronger side, Carayol curling on to the crossbar and Jutkiewicz firing into De Vries' hands just before half-time.

However, Wolves came out of the blocks the brighter at the restart, and Sigurdarson, collecting Sylvan Ebanks Blake's pass, calmly rounded the onrushing Steele and slotted home.

This time, the hosts' lead was to last just five minutes, with Leadbitter, as before, firing home, this time from 25 yards out.

Quite how Wolves did not take the lead for the third time on 58 minutes is anybody's guess. First, Hunt fired goalwards, to be denied by a fine Steele save, before George Friend and Jonathan Woodgate heroically gobbled up the rebounds.

Leadbitter, on a hat-trick, went close on the hour mark from distance before Steele once more denied Wolves with a superb save from Sigurdarson.

But it seemed that Boro's defensive heroics were merely delaying the inevitable, which came on 70 minutes when Doyle nodded home.

Boro strived for an equaliser, but the goal had galvanised Wolves and the hosts, second off bottom at kick-off today, stayed strong.

Jutkiewicz took down McManus' searching ball and volleyed wide with a minute left of normal time, but Wolves hung on for victory.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (4-4-2): De Vries; Doherty, Gorkss, Johnson, Robinson; Sigurdson, O'Hara (Henry 76), Davis, Hunt (Ward 87); Doyle (Batth 81), Ebanks-Blake. Subs: Hammill, Dicko, Doumbia, McCarey.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-4-1): Steele; Hoyte, McManus, Woodgate, Friend; Bikey (Zemmama 75); Carayol (Ameobi 63), Leadbitter, Reach (Dyer 63), McDonald; Jutkiewicz. Subs: Leutwiler, Hines, Miller, McEachran.

Att: 21,277