Wolverhampton Wanderers' Kevin Doyle and Aston Villa's James Milner battle for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture: PA

Wolves were denied a precious victory after two-goal John Carew rescued lacklustre Villa.

The game seemed to be heading towards Wolves’ first win at Villa Park for 30 years until Carew, with a second suspiciously offside-looking goal, diverted home substitute Steve Sidwell’s shot with eight minutes left.

After a bright start which brought them a simple goal from Carew in the 16th minute, the home side faded alarmingly and the visitors made the most of it with a Jody Craddock equaliser on 23 and an own goal from James Milner 15 minutes later.

But, despite Carew’s late equaliser, Wolves left Villa Park the happier team as the point put them four points clear of the drop zone, at least for a few hours.

In an open start, Villa had little trouble finding space in the opposition defence and it looked like there were going to be chances galore, especially for the hosts.

Carew made the most of a poor Carlos Cuellar cross to rifle an angled effort across the face of goal,  with Stephen Warnock just failing to apply the final touch sliding in at the far post.

Wolves responded with a fierce volley from Adlene Guedioura that bounced a couple of yards wide from a Matt Jarvis corner.

But Villa were quickly back into their stride and only fine tackles by captain Karl Henry on the rampaging Milner, Christophe Berra on Carew and Stephen Ward on Ashley Young in the penalty area prevented more assaults on goal.

And it was little more tha the claret and blues deserved as they took the lead in their next attack in the 16th minute.

Young got away from Ronald Zubar far too easily for Wolves’ liking down the left and crossed to Carew – fractionally ahead of last defender Jody Craddock – to tap home his 12th goal of the season.

Their tails up, Villa attempted to drive home their advantage and Young’s fizzing angled shot was held by goalkeeperMarcus Hahnemann.

But just as they looked in control, Wolves hit back to equalise through Craddock in the 23rd minute.

The veteran defender, who has been told he has a new contract this week, fired home first time left footed for his fifth goal of the season after Zubar teed him up from David Jones’s swirling free kick.

Villa Park seemed strangely flat and the home team was the same and Wolves took advantage, taking the lead 15 minutes later – albeit in fortuitous circumstances – when Milner stabbed home Jarvis’s cross ahead of Jones just inside the six-yard box.

The home side appeared tepid and could offer little in response but they wasted a superb chance four minutes before the break, when Stewart Downing planted a free header into the ground and over from six yards out.

Martin O’Neill’s men found the net early in the second half – but thankfully for Wolves, it was only the side-netting from Richard Dunne’s far post header then the top of the net from Young’s free kick.

The visitors, who brought on George Elokobi for Guedioura at half-time then Michael Mancienne for Stephen Ward on 64, had little trouble containing Villa until after the hour mark, when Carew  should have done better with a header.

Wolves were forced into a desperate clearance from Henry on the line after an Emile Heskey header him on 70, before Carew’s late heroics.