Bristol City 2 Wolves 2

First the good news. With 28 games gone, Wolves extended their lead at the top to five points.

Mick McCarthy's team look pretty good too, but for the two defensive errors that led to Bristol City's two goals.

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That zip and power that took them clear of the field in late summer was again in evidence at Ashton Gate, just as it was at St Andrew's four days earlier.

Now the bad news – the rest are catching up.

Not just on Wolves, but on the top three who have dominated the Championship pecking order for so long.

In the last four games, Wolves have taken the lead each time only to fail to win.

Three points from 12 isn't a disaster by any means, especially with the commanding number of points Wolves have built up – still clear of McCarthy's watershed promotion mark of two per game at 2.11.

The fact nearest challengers Reading and Birmingham are going through similar form too at the moment is a small comfort.

While Wolves have drawn three and lost one of their last four, the two behind have each taken five points from 12.

But it's the form of the three teams in the play-off zone below the top three that make interesting reading.

Fourth-placed Sheffield United and Preston in fifth have each taken 10 points from the same spell to eat up the gap on Wolves.

A glance at the league table still makes extremely healthy reading.

But they can't afford to keep losing points like they have recently.

Ashton Gate has seen some memorable performances from Wolves in recent history.

Until around 6.35pm on Saturday night, it looked like there was going to be another to join the list.

Goals from Neill Collins and Matt Jarvis had given Wolves a 2-0 lead and they were coasting.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's powerful 56th minute shot tipped away by keeper Adriano Basso would have made it 3-0.

Then the storm came, and this was one right up there with the best to accompany any Amityville Horror movie.

In the lottery that followed in the swirling wind and lashing rain, the horror was all Wolves' as their hopes of regaining a seven-point lead at the top of the Championship were washed away.

It made for another memorable occasion at Bristol City – but not for the right reasons.

What the unrelenting elements allowed fans to see will have been ultimately cracking value for money in a full-blooded, see-saw encounter.

But it was the Bristol City fans whose beer tasted better on Saturday night for their storming comeback.

This was never a game Wolves were going to lose.

With their tempo back, they had too much about them to struggle and it was heartening to see Karl Henry and Dave Jones largely boss central midfield despite being outnumbered, while Kightly and Jarvis looked a threat whenever they had the ball.

In fact, even after Dele Adebola's 58th minute angled strike to reduce the arrears after turning Collins, Wolves remained in the driving seat. And even at the hour mark, when Jarvis had an angled drive tipped wide by Basso, it didn't really look they would even draw – a win looked the only outcome.

But the game – along with the wretched weather which saw setpieces regularly re-positioned as the ball rolled away at will – became increasingly unpredictable in the last half hour, when both sides attacked and defended for their lives in equal intensity.

Collins, whose fourth goal of the season owed much to the elements as he headed into the unguarded net after Michael Kightly's deep cross hung in the air to leave Basso floundering, made superb blocks to deny Adebola and Liam Fontaine.

Richard Stearman did likewise, throwing himself in front of Lee Johnson's drive in between Adebola curling inches wide with Wayne Hennessey at full stretch.

Wolves, who also had justifiable penalty appeals turned down for Marvin Elliott's trip on Andy Keogh in the first half, could have extended their lead when Keogh – again impressive as he kept Chris Iwelumo out for the first time in the – League since the opening day - then substitute Dave Edwards toe-poked wide.

But Collins' slip out wide enabled Adebola to skip past him, cut inside and draw Hennessey to allow Nicky Maynard a simple tap-in for the equaliser three minutes from time, fuelling the argument that the gap left by Michael Mancienne needs to be plugged.

All eyes now turn to this Saturday's FA Cup clash against Middlesbrough. Or maybe not.

This is scarcely a game McCarthy wants. Progress in the Cup or three points at Reading three days later is a no-brainer.

By Tim Nash