Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Cardiff City 3.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Cardiff City
- From the section Football
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:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"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
- 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
- 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
Full Time
Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Cardiff City 3.
Foul by Danny Batth (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Bruno Ecuele Manga.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Alex Revell replaces Anthony Pilkington.
Attempt blocked. Michal Zyro (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Doherty with a cross.
Attempt saved. Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Anthony Pilkington.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Matt Doherty.
Foul by Bright Enobakhare (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Stuart O'Keefe (Cardiff City).
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.
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Attempt blocked. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Stuart O'Keefe.
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.
Offside, Cardiff City. Scott Malone tries a through ball, but Anthony Pilkington is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Wolverhampton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Dominic Iorfa following a corner.
Attempt missed. Bright Enobakhare (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Anthony Pilkington.
Attempt blocked. Bright Enobakhare (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Rajiv van La Parra (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Joe Ralls (Cardiff City).
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Danny Batth.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kagisho Dikgacoi replaces Joe Mason.
Attempt missed. Michal Zyro (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is too high from a direct free kick.
Rajiv van La Parra (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Scott Malone (Cardiff City).
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Joe Ralls.
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Craig Noone.
Attempt missed. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by James Henry (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michal Zyro (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.