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Wolves goal scorer Bakary Sako scored a goal for Mali at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

Wolverhampton Wanderers won their third match in a row with a 1-0 win at 10-man Cardiff City to move to within two points of the play-off places.

Bakary Sako's low shot finished off a Wolves first-half counter-attack to put the visitors ahead.

Bluebirds midfielder Peter Whittingham was sent off in the second-half after two bookable offences.

Defender Richard Stearman cleared the ball off the line in injury-time as Cardiff pressed for an equaliser.

Wolves came into the match having thrashed Rotherham and Fulham 5-0 and 3-0 respectively in their last two Championship matches.

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan (l) walks around the pitch with chairman Mehmet Dalman (r)

The Bluebirds meanwhile were unbeaten in their previous five matches.

They welcomed owner Vincent Tan to the ground for the first time since they were relegated from the Premier League last season.

The Malaysian, who sported a blue shirt, saw his side start brightly without creating any clear-cut chances.

Midway through the first half, as Cardiff continued to push forward, Wolves launched a devastating counter-attack at pace.

Dutch midfielder Rajiv van La Parra beat two defenders before his pass found Sako just inside the box, the Mali international firing home his 11th Championship goal, low into the corner of the net.

Cardiff's came closest to scoring in the half through Aron Gunnarsson, who headed the ball narrowly over the crossbar following Wolves goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak's clearance punch.

After the break, a mix up between Cardiff's Gunnarsson and Sean Morrison saw the ball break to Benik Afobe eight yards from goal, but the Wolves striker failed to beat goalkeeper David Marshall.

Moments later the Bluebirds were down to 10 men after Whittingham received a second booking, for a lunging challenge on Wolves defender Matt Doherty.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Russell Slade's side continued to press for an equaliser and former Stoke striker Jones powered a header narrowly wide from a Gunnarsson cross.

Matthew Kennedy fired a shot wide of the Wolves goal from inside the box and in injury-time Stearman cleared Jones' goal-bound header off the line.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade:

"The owner was very pleased and he thought we were unlucky. He spoke to the players before the game and I have spoken to him afterwards and he was happy with what he had seen.

"We deserved something from that and the changing room is a bit down and we will have to do some work picking them up.

"Losing Peter Whittingham seemed to galvanise us and we had a couple of chances which on another day might have gone in."

Wolves manager Kenny Jackett:

"You can only look at your own form but we have goals and spirit in this team and those are things we can capitalise on.

"Your own performance level is everything and it is still there for us. It is possible to go on a run of eight or nine wins out of 10 and you have to believe we can do it.

"This run is coming at the right time for us and we want it to continue because it is giving us a very good opportunity.

"This is a big club, as Wolves we are always looking to be up there and we will keep going."