On-loan Allan Nielsen plundered a vital and deserved Wolves winner as Blackburn's flickering play-off hopes were finally extinguished at Molineux.

Nielsen, the Danish international attempting to regain his place for Euro 2000, was the class act in a game won comfortably by Colin Lee's side.

And the Tottenham midfielder's fine personal contribution was fittingly rounded off when he headed the 73rd-minute decider when Michael Branch's cross from the right found him on the six-yard line.

Nielsen, playing his third match for the club, lined up on the left side of midfield and had a fine game, liberally spiced with touches of Premiership class.

His intervention could not have come at a better time for Wolves, who looked like surrendering two undeserved points after Blackburn had levelled against the run of play in the 55th minute.

Wolves had made a dominant start to the second half and seemed to be in little danger when Damien Duff gained possession outside the area.

But the talented winger set off on a diagonal run that ended with a low cross shot that seemed to deceive keeper Michael Oakes as it went in at his far post.

Blackburn threatened again when substitute Nathan Blake chipped wide as he fell and when fellow sub Matt Jansen sliced wide deep into injury time.

But their first defeat under the management of Graeme Souness was on the cards from the moment Wolves went in front towards the end of an even first half.

Rovers' central defender Christian Dailly was guilty of manhandling Branch as they went for Kevin Muscat's 40th-minute cross from the right and referee David Pugh immediately pointed to the spot.

Wolves skipper Keith Curle was relieved of the penalty duties after his miss at Birmingham last week and Muscat stepped up to beat Alan Kelly with a rising drive.

Branch might have doubled the home side's lead when he brought a fine save from Kelly just before the break while Ade Akinbiyi was a constant threat to Blackburn's defence in the second period.

Rovers' disappointing performance briefly promised better things, especially when Dailly headed narrowly wide early on and when Ashley Ward had an angled shot blocked by the legs of Oakes.

Teams:

Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Pollet, Curle, Emblen, Bazeley, Robinson (Taylor 46), Sedgley, Nielsen, Akinbiyi (Flo 86), Branch.

Subs Not Used: Osborn, Lescott, Petterson.

Goals: Muscat 40 pen, Nielsen 72.

Blackburn: Kelly, McAteer, Broomes, Dailly, Harkness, Johnson (Gillespie 74), Dunn, Flitcroft, Duff, Ward (Jansen 68), Ostenstad (Blake 56).

Subs Not Used: Miller, Frandsen.

Goals: Duff 54.

Att: 22,286

Ref: D Pugh (Bebington).