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The temperature was high on the pitch on a bitingly cold day and Curtis Woodhouse was booked within a minute for a nasty challenge that left Shaun Newton needing treatment.
Marcelo brought a clean save from Michael Oakes with a low 25-yard free-kick before Ian Bennett saved superbly at the other end from Mark Kennedy's right-foot shot.
Marcelo should then have done better than drag a shot well wide after dispossessing Oakes on the edge of the area but it was Wolves who went in front in the 37th minute.
Newton's through-ball was turned sideways by Dean Sturridge for Nathan Blake to keep his cool and chip a right-foot shot over the body of the diving Bennett.
But the lead lasted just over a minute when Nicky Eaden's centre from the right was steered gently into the far bottom corner by Marcelo.
Wolves nearly regained the lead in first-half stoppage time when Rae struck the legs of Bennett from a clear opportunity set up by Blake.
Half Time: Wolves 1 - Blues 1
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From the resulting free-kick Rae drove wildly off-target and Blake volleyed straight at Bennett.
Purse might have been red-carded shortly afterwards for a challenge on Blake while Blues could have got their noses in front when Marcelo cut inside Paul Butler and fired narrowly wide.
Purse nearly headed into his own net soon after from a Kennedy corner but Eaden headed off the line, then Bennett reacted superbly to claw away Sturridge's header from another Kennedy delivery.
But Wolves scored what proved to be the winner in the 65th minute when Kennedy drove hard and low into the middle from the left and Rae thundered the ball home from close range at the near post.
Blues hit back hard late on and Eaden sliced off-target before Oakes made a tremendous late stop when Marcelo deflected substitute Martin Grainger's 20-yard drive.
Wolves: Oakes, Muscat, Lescott, Butler, Naylor, Newton, Rae, Robinson, Kennedy (Camara 77), Blake (Ndah 67), Sturridge. Subs Not Used: Andrews, Pollet, Murray.
Booked: Muscat.
Goals: Blake 38, Rae 66.
Blues: Bennett, Fleming, Purse, Vickers, Burrows, Eaden (Andrew Johnson 84), Woodhouse, Luntala (Grainger 54), Lazaridis, Marcelo, Mooney (Horsfield 72). Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Hyde.
Booked: Woodhouse, Purse, Marcelo, Burrows.
Goals: Marcelo 40.
Att: 21,482
Ref: R Furnandiz (Doncaster).
