A stunning volley by on-loan Birmingham winger Paul Devlin left honours even at St Andrews as Wolves moved back to the top of Division One.

Dave Jones' side had been on course for all three points when they raced into a 2-0 lead after half an hour with goals from centre-backs Paul Butler and Joleon Lescott.

A mistake by Wolves goalkeeper Michael Oakes allowed Stern John to pull one back for Blues and then Devlin's cracker brought them level and kept Steve Bruce's side in play-off contention.

Wolves made just one change from their 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest, Keith Andrews dropping down to the bench after taking a knock in that match.

Stan Lazaridis failed a fitness test on a hamstring strain for Birmingham while Steve Vickers did not recover in time from a calf injury.

New £150,000 signing Damien Johnson was on the bench for Steve Bruce's side.

Devlin had the first chance of the game after six minutes, but his shot across Wolves goalkeeper Michael Oakes was well parried.

Blues survived a scare in the 14th minute when Darren Purse deceived his own goalkeeper Ian Bennett by deflecting a harmless-looking shot from Mark Kennedy just wide.

Six minutes later Wolves took the lead when Kennedy spotted the run of centre-back Butler to the far post.

Kennedy picked him out and Butler nodded the ball back across Bennett and into the corner despite the attentions of Tommy Mooney.

It was the Wolves captain's first goal for the club since his move from Sunderland.

Birmingham missed an opportunity to equalise four minutes later when Mooney's cross from the left picked out the late arrival of Purse at the far post but he headed well over when unmarked.

Bryan Hughes and Alex Rae then squared up in the 24th minute after the Birmingham midfielder came in very late on Colin Cameron. Both were shown the yellow card, and Wolves full-back Mohammed Camara had earlier been booked for kicking the ball away following a foul.

Wolves increased their lead just before the half-hour mark. Again it was an excellent ball into the box by Kennedy and this time it was Wolves' other central defender Lescott who soared above Bennett to nod the ball home.

But Oakes gifted Birmingham a route back into the game when a low shot from John slipped through his grasp in the 36th minute.

Wolves lost possession 30 yards out and the Trinidadian advanced to the edge of the box before scoring his second goal for Blues since his move from Nottingham Forest.

Geoff Horsfield could have levelled two minutes later as the ball ran to him in the box but Kevin Muscat got back to touch the ball to Oakes.

The home side were enjoying a good spell and after Oakes flapped unconvincingly at a cross from the right Mooney hooked a looping shot towards goal but Lescott headed the ball off the goalline in the 41st minute.

The equaliser Birmingham had been threatening arrived in first-half stoppage time - and what a goal it was.

Martin Grainger cut in from the left and crossed to the far post where Devlin struck the ball low on the volley across Oakes and into the far corner.

Mooney wasted the first opening of the second half in the 51st minute when his cross found no-one despite five players being in support of him.

Butler was then booked after he went nose-to-nose with the assistant referee, while Nathan Blake was also yellow-carded for taking his protests too far following the award of a free-kick.

Devlin took the set-piece but drilled his right-foot shot just over the crossbar.

John had a chance to net his second of the afternoon after an hour but his header from a right-wing cross fell straight into the arms of Oakes.

The same player fired a shot directly at Oakes five minutes later after Horsfield had squared the ball to him.

Bennett was called into action for Birmingham after 68 minutes when Andrews' shot from an indirect free-kick deflected off Grainger and was bound for the corner until the stopper got his left hand to the ball to tip it wide.

There was a delay to the action in the final 10 minutes when a section of metal sheeting from one of the stands came loose in the strong winds which swept across St Andrews and landed on the front rows of seats below.

Fortunately they were unoccupied and stewards had to move fans back to avoid any injuries.

John was still making a nuisance of himself and after Hughes fluffed a volley he flashed a shot just wide while lying prone on the floor in the 87th minute.

Hughes was the next to try his luck but his long-range shot was always drifting wide of Oakes' left-hand post.

Teams

Birmingham: Bennett, Kenna, Michael Johnson, Purse, Grainger, Devlin, Carter, Mooney (Woodhouse 73), Hughes, Horsfield, John.

Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Eaden, Hyde, Damien Johnson.

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: John 36, Devlin 45.

Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat, Butler, Lescott, Camara, Newton, Cameron (Andrews 62), Rae, Kennedy, Sturridge, Blake.

Subs Not Used: Ndah, Pollet, Miller, Murray.

Booked: Camara, Rae, Cameron, Blake, Butler.

Goals: Butler 20, Lescott 29.

Att: 22,104

Ref: S Mathieson (Stockport).