Wolves 2 Blackburn Rovers 3: Wolves left relieved

The hosts were ripped apart in the opening 45 minutes with Jason Roberts, Brett Emerton and Junior Hoilett netting for Rovers.

But they responded with second-half efforts from Jamie O’Hara and Stephen Hunt and, with Birmingham and Blackpool both losing, they survived for a third successive season of top-flight football.

Mick McCarthy’s men finished the season one place and one point above the bottom three, with Rovers three points better off.

Rovers manager Steve Kean praised the way his players have responded in the face of adversity with some positive results.

He said: “We have produced seven positive results from our last nine games. The team have come together as a group really well. We will be a better team and a better club for it.”

He added: “The first half was the best 45 minutes of our season. It is just a shame that we left it until the last game. We were on the front foot from the start and we never let them settle.”