Middlesbrough closed the gap on the leaders with a couple of very late goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Riverside.
Substitute Marvin Emnes converted an 89th minute penalty after Karl Henry was adjudged to have handled before Scott McDonald added another moments later.
The Australian international had already shot wide early on while the recalled Luke Williams saw another effort deflected behind.
However, Bakary Sako forced home goalkeeper Jason Steele into action from a low free-kick before Seb Hines reacted well to block Sylvan Ebanks-Blake inside his own area.
Wolves striker Kevin Doyle then helped a Sako corner into the side-netting following the restart, while Richard Smallwood struck a deflected effort through to former Boro loan keeper Carl Ikeme before next despatching a 25-yard free-kick wide.
Emmanuel Ledesma then produced a firm drive from the edge of the area that was stopped by Ikeme, whose opposite number Steele had to deal with a testing effort from Doyle with fifteen minutes remaining.
But a first home penalty in 44 games came along just at the right moment for Boro as Henry was penalised from McDonald’s 89th minute cross.
Emnes calmly stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot before setting up McDonald for his ninth goal of the season to secure the points shortly afterwards.
Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Hines, Woodgate, Friend (Parnaby 80), Leadbitter, McEachran, Smallwood, L. Williams (Emnes 62), McDonald, Miller (Ledesma 62)
subs (unused): Leutwiler, Thomson, Bailey, Jutkiewicz
Goals: Emnes (pen 89), McDonald (90)
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme, Ward, Johnson, Berra, Foley, Henry, Sako, Doumbia (Davis 74), Ebanks-Blake (Pennant 74), Sigurdarson, Doyle
subs (unused): De Vries, Stearman, Batth, Forde, Nouble
Ref: R. Madley
Att: 15,662
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