Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Cardiff City 3.
WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers1CardiffCardiff City3
Cardiff City produced an impressive away display to win at Wolves thanks to three superbly-taken goals.
Craig Noone hit two stunning first-half strikes from range to put the away side in command, but Wolves pulled one back before half-time through Michal Zyro.
Joe Ralls' low, left-footed drive from outside the area secured Cardiff's first away win of 2016.
Defeat ended Wolves' run of four league wins in a row, leaving them eight points behind the top six.
Cardiff's win came less than 24 hours after they were placed under a transfer embargo for breaching Financial Fair Play rules while chairman Mehmet Dalman said the "jury was still out" over manager Russell Slade.
But Slade's side controlled the first half and almost went ahead when Stuart O'Keefe hit the crossbar, before Noone twice found the top left corner with his left foot to stun Wolves.
The hosts responded as Polish winger Zyro poked in from close range for his third goal in two games.
But Noone fed Ralls for his first goal of the season after half-time and Cardiff's victory rarely looked in doubt.
The result saw the Bluebirds complete a league double over Wolves, after their 2-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium in August.
Wolves boss Kenny Jackett:
"We have defended a lot better than that and I am disappointed with the goals.
"While there was a good attitude and spirit about us to be competitive, you need to keep the goals against column down.
"We needed to stay in that game - that is the period of the season that it is. We didn't do that or recognise some very good strengths that Cardiff have."
Cardiff boss Russell Slade:
"The football club needed a response and that's exactly what we got.
"We were very strong in both boxes and that has won us a football match.
"It was a really good team effort today to get us over the line and a really welcome result."
Line-ups
Wolves
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Ikeme
- 18Iorfa
- 6Batth
- 23Ebanks-LandellBooked at 32mins
- 2Doherty
- 16CoadySubstituted forHenryat 45'minutes
- 11McDonald
- 4Edwards
- 24GrahamSubstituted forEnobakhareat 65'minutes
- 17van La Parra
- 27Zyro
Substitutes
- 3Golbourne
- 7Henry
- 8Saville
- 19Price
- 25Byrne
- 26Martinez
- 48Enobakhare
Cardiff
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Marshall
- 2Peltier
- 5Ecuele Manga
- 16Connolly
- 28MaloneBooked at 37mins
- 11NooneBooked at 85mins
- 22O'Keefe
- 8Ralls
- 7WhittinghamSubstituted forda Silvaat 86'minutes
- 13PilkingtonSubstituted forRevellat 90+4'minutes
- 10MasonSubstituted forDikgacoiat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 3da Silva
- 14Macheda
- 15Dikgacoi
- 19Revell
- 21Moore
- 23Kennedy
- 38Ameobi
- Referee:
- Dean Whitestone
- Attendance:
- 24,238
Match Stats
Home TeamWolvesAway TeamCardiff
- Possession
- Home53%
- Away47%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away7
- Corners
- Home7
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Cardiff City 3.
Post update
Foul by Danny Batth (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Post update
Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Bruno Ecuele Manga.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Alex Revell replaces Anthony Pilkington.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Michal Zyro (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Doherty with a cross.
Post update
Attempt saved. Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Anthony Pilkington.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Matt Doherty.
Post update
Foul by Bright Enobakhare (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Post update
Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City).
Post update
Offside, Cardiff City. Matthew Connolly tries a through ball, but Anthony Pilkington is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Fabio replaces Peter Whittingham.
Booking
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Stuart O'Keefe.
Post update
Attempt missed. Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Henry with a cross.
Post update
Offside, Cardiff City. Scott Malone tries a through ball, but Anthony Pilkington is caught offside.
