Wolves 0 Ipswich 0

A point closer, a game nearer. Thirty-seven matches down and three points ahead became 38 and still three points clear in the Championship's latest round of 'follow the leader' for Wolves last night.

While Wolves huffed and puffed but couldn't blow down Ipswich's rock-solid house, a similar story was unfolding across the country.

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The entire top six all failed to win as the Championship continued its meandering path towards a mystery conclusion.

For Wolves, it was the unusual experience of a goalless draw - the first of 2008-09 after 114 goals in 37 games, and indeed their first in 44 League games going back to April 12, 2008 at Bristol City.

Wolves were confronted by a suffocating blanket of players blocking their route to goal, as Ipswich's beleaguered boss Jim Magilton effectively parked his Tractor Boys in front of their goal.

Content to defend after conceding six goals in their previous two games, the visitors rarely threatened.

Ipswich's unambitious approach contributed heavily to a first half devoid of incident until the 22nd minute when Dave Jones' 25-yard free kick was tipped around the post by keeper Richard Wright.

Even after that, Wolves struggled to create anything worthwhile in open play and fans had to settle for another setpiece for the only other chance of the first period when Kyel Reid's similar free kick whistled inches wide of Wright's left-hand post 16 minutes later.

Wolves' improvement after the break owed much to the half-time arrival of Michael Kightly for Reid, after McCarthy kept him "benched" following the twinge in his hamstring that forced him off against Sheffield Wednesday three days earlier.

Angled drive

Nonetheless, we saw a determined effort to shake off Ipswich's restricting shackles.

After a scissors kick from the recalled Stephen Ward straight at the keeper and a Dave Edwards angled drive that went wide, McCarthy's side went close three times within a matter of seconds in the 59th minute.

First, Kightly's cross was volleyed off the line by Pim Balkestein.

From there, all hell broke loose as the ball found its way to the unmarked Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, whose curling effort was heading for the top corner before crashing off the bar.

Even then, you might have expected Kightly to finish things off, but the winger could only fire wide from the follow-up.

Ipswich's attacking forays up to this point stood at nil, but they hit Wolves on the break when keeper Wayne Hennessey was forced to expertly smother Kevin Lisbie's shot on the turn after he was presented with their best chance of the game.

But Wolves were the better side throughout and thought they had claimed a penalty in the 76th minute when fans claimed Kightly was manhandled by Ivan Campo.

As the game limped into stoppage time, Ipswich captain Tommy Miller threatened to do what he did in this game last season, when he equalised in the 94th minute, with a deflected shot that flew over.

Wolves' efforts in front of goal were finally brought to an end following Stephen Ward's cross-shot that just flew wide with Wright in trouble.