Nervous Wolves secured only their second home win of 2009 to extended their lead at the top by beating rock bottom Charlton.

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Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was credited with the crucial second goal on 79 minutes, which was squeezed home on the line after an almighty scramble following Dave Jones’s corner.

Ebanks-Blake himself was reluctant to claim the effort which went down as his 24th goal of the season and indeed it was only the linesman’s flag on the far side that indicated the ball had crossed the line, after Chris Iwelumo had flicked it on.

Wolves’ second goal was the high point of a second half, which had struggled to reach the boil and only sprang to life when Ebanks-Blake saw a 69th minute penalty saved – his second miss from the spot in three attempts.

Earlier, Iwelumo’s first goal for 17 games gave Wolves the first half advantage after his sweetly struck volley went in off the post on 36 minutes.

Bizarrely during a very scrappy first period, Charlton’s Chinese midfielder Zheng Zhi had the ball in the net at both ends only for both to be disallowed.

He ‘netted’ for the visitors on 25 minutes – only for the flag to go up immediately for offside – before heading home for Wolves, after the referee’s whistle scrubbed out his embarrasing moment following a foul for a push.

Zheng Zhi finally did get the ball in the net on 51 minutes, with the equaliser which saw Wolves pile forward in search of a second goal.

Michael Kightly, whose pass set up the first goal, then fired straight at keeper Rob Elliot before the penalty awarded for a hotly disputed handball.

Half-time substitute Karl Henry also swerved a shot wide, before Ebanks-Blake was credited with the scrambled winner, as a nervous Wolves held on in injury time.

Stephen Ward’s half time departure may be a concern to Wolves, but a bigger one on the day was Charlton boss Phil Parkinson’s, as he had to be restrained from having a go at Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, who it seemed tried to prevent the visitors taking a throw in injury time.

For more Wolves stories see today’s Shropshire Star