Robbie Keane's superb double punished struggling Wolves in a gripping match.

Darren Bent won and scored a penalty to put Villa ahead, before Michael Kightly equalised with a well-placed shot.

Wolves went ahead after Roger Johnson flicked on a corner and David Edwards headed past Shay Given, before Keane's second-half volley made it 2-2.

Karl Henry was sent off for kicking Marc Albrighton - who was on the ground - in the midriff, with Keane hammering in a stupendous shot for the winner.

It was quite a return to the ground where Keane, who has recently joined Villa on loan from LA Galaxy, started his professional career 15 years ago and the Republic of Ireland striker might have had a hat-trick after shooting narrowly wide following his second goal.

For Wolves it was a case of what if, given the way Christophe Berra clumsily fouled Bent to give away the penalty and Henry's ill-discipline.

After the interval Mick McCarthy's side were never able to replicate a first-half purple patch that brought their two goals, partly through the introduction of Stephen Warnock at left-back, which lessened Kightly's influence, and also when Emmanuel Frimpong was carried off on a stretcher.

Referee Michael Oliver had to play an eight extra minutes after the on-loan Arsenal midfielder needed prolonged treatment when he was caught in the face by Stiliyan Petrov's boot as Frimpong attempted a diving header following a corner.

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