Wolves 2 (Potter 45, Edwards 54)

Walsall 0

Although they were in the ascendancy for much of the game, a strong Wolves side had to work hard to secure victory over a well organised Walsall team at the Bucks Head.

The opening minutes were littered with a series of offside decisions at both ends of the field and the first chance didn't arrive until the tenth minute when Rob Edwards headed wide from Darren Potter's centre after Stephen Gleeson's free-kick had bounced back off the Walsall wall.

Potter then played a short corner to Jamie Clapham whose swerving cross had the Saddlers defence struggling to clear, before Freddy Eastwood beat Paul Boertien and squared the ball from the touchline to Potter.

The midfielder had his back to goal so he laid a pass into the path of Andy Keogh but a defender threw himself in the way of the shot that followed.

After a probing run, Matt Jarvis found Eastwood who screwed a low shot wide from 20-yards and then Jarvis picked out Keogh who cleverly turned and beat his man only for Walsall keeper Bertrand Bossu to save with his legs.

In the 20^th minute, Carl Ikeme saved at the feet of Alex Nichols in a rare Walsall attack. Play soon switched to the other end and Ian Roper had to hoof the ball out of play as Mark Davies tried to reach a return pass from Gleeson.

Potter was close with a long distance effort and then he combined with Keogh to set up Jarvis who beat his man as he jinked into the box only for Manny Smith to block his shot.

Davies beat two men and unleashed an angled shot that was only just wide, before Nichols seized on a poor clearance and drove wide of Ikeme's far post.

Nichols played Ishmel Demontagnac in but the Walsall man slipped and fell over as he was about to shoot.

Wolves went back on the attack and they finally made the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time. Jarvis took the ball to the by-line but instead of squaring it he laid it back to Potter who drilled a low shot home from the edge of the box.

Half-Time: Wolves 1 Walsall 0

Gary Breen, who had enjoyed a useful 45 minutes following his return from injury, was replaced by Charlie Mulgrew at the start of the second-half.

Davies hit a powerful 25-yard shot that went straight into the arms of Bossu. But Wolves did get a second in the 54^th minute after a Potter corner had been hooked goalwards by Eastwood. The ball hit a defender and bounced down to Edwards who lashed it into the roof of the net.

Jarvis, who was having a fine game, twice went close with curling shots either side of Richard Taundry's angled drive that took a deflection and went behind after travelling through the home goalmouth.

Ikeme, back after a long and frustrating injury lay off, made a superb reflex save to deny Paul Hall who looked a certain scorer as he met Nchols' centre on the edge of the six-yard box.

Davies drove narrowly over after a run through the heart of the Saddlers defence, and Mulgrew headed against the bar following a Potter corner as Wanderers maintained the pressure.

Mark Little almost got on the scoresheet when he took a pass from Davies and smashed the ball towards the top corner only for Bossu to pull off a fine save.

The game ended on a sour note with Demontagnac being shown the yellow card after a foul on Edwards and then a second yellow and a red after showing dissent.

Wolves: Ikeme, Little, Clapham (Bailey 76), Gleeson (capt), Edwards, Breen (Mulgrew 45), Davies, Potter, Keogh, Eastwood, Jarvis (Gobern 63).

Unused subs: Lumley, Hemmings.

Walsall: Bossu, Taundry, Boertien, Harris (Silver 65), Smith, Roper, Hall, Mawete (Wilkes 61), Nichols, Ravenhill (Davis 45), Demontagnac.

Unused subs: Jones, Swartz.

Bookings: Smith (88 - foul), Demontagnac (89 - foul).

Sending-Off: Demontagnac (89 - dissent - second yellow card).

Referee: C.D. Sarginson.

Attendance: 130.