Nicky Maynard set Ashton Gate alight as he took the wind out of Wolves' sails in a dramatic finale in front of the Sky TV cameras.

Trailing 2-1 to the Championship leaders with just three minutes remaining, City completed a remarkable fightback to earn a share of the spoils after appearing to be down and out.

Wolves were just moments away from establishing a seven-point lead at the top of the table and registering their ninth away win of the season when Maynard netted an equaliser from close range.

But substitute Dele Adebola was the real hero, changing the game after being introduced at the start of the second half.

The veteran striker launched City's recovery with a 58th minute goal and then created the opportunity for Maynard to grab his ninth goal of the campaign and level matters in a game played in atrocious conditions.

City were staring defeat in the face when two howling errors from keeper Adriano Basso either side of half time gifted Wolves a 2-0 advantage.

Caught out by gale-force wind which billowed around the stadium, the Brazilian mis-judged Michael Kightly's lofted ball in the 44th minute and handed Neill Collins a simple goal.

And things went from bad to worse for City's keeper when his clearance kick went straight to Kightly, who set-up Matt Jarvis for the second goal on 53 minutes.

But that proved the cue for a storming fightback from Gary Johnson's team.

City boss Gary Johnson made one enforced change from the side which did FA Cup battle with Premier League Portsmouth in midweek, reshuffling his defence in the absence of Jamie McCombe.

The big centre half will enter hospital on Tuesday to undergo surgery on the pelvic/stomach strain which has troubled him since Christmas and is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks.

Jamie McAllister returned at left-back, allowing Liam Fontaine to switch to the centre of the back four. Otherwise, Johnson retained the side which lost 2-0 to Cup holders Pompey.

If the Sky TV team anticipated a classic encounter, they were frustrated by the gusting wind which rendered football a hazardous business inside Ashton Gate, causing players to lose control and over-hit passes with alarming regularity.

As a consequence, incisive approach play was difficult and goal-scoring chances were at a premium as the two sides cancelled one another out in midfield.

City required 19 minutes to conjure even a semblance of a chance, Lee Johnson straining every sinew to reach Nicky Maynard's cross and watching his header fly high and wide into the Atyeo Stand.

City's Slovakian striker Peter Styvar - making his Championship debut - conjured the game's first on-target effort after 26 minutes, testing Welsh international keeper Wayne Hennessey with a 25 yard shot which bounced just in front of him.

Wolves had to soak up further pressure and Cole Skuse seized upon Johnson's clever back heel, only to see his shot charged down, while Hennessey raced from his line to punch clear as Marvin Elliott rose to meet a lofted corner kick.

City fans had hearts in mouths when Andy Keogh went down under challenge from Bradley Orr inside the penalty area, but referee Mark Haywood saw nothing wrong.

With the wind in their faces, leaders Wolves found the going harder still and mustered only one worthwhile shot in the opening 45 minutes, former Robins left-back Matt Hill directing an angled drive into the arms of the underworked Adriano Basso from the edge of the 18 yard box.

But there was no escape for the home side when the elements intervened a minute before half time, Basso misjudging Kightly's looping free kick and allowing the ball to sneak over his head to present Neill Collins with the easiest goal he will probably ever score.

Robins manager Johnson made a change at the start of the second half, sending on veteran target man Adebola in place of the ineffectual Styvar.

But the home side were 2-0 behind before the new arrival had an opportunity to make an impact.

Eight minutes after the restart, Adriano Basso directed an attempted clearance kick straight at Kightly. Wolves' flying winger could hardly believe his luck and threaded a neat pass into the path of Matt Jarvis, whose side-footed finish gave the crestfallen Basso no chance.

Needing to respond quickly, City did exactly that, substitute Adebola running onto a long through ball and squeezing his shot between Hennessey and the upright from an acute angle to make a game of it.

Basso made partial amends for his earlier errors as Wolves sought to restore their two-goal cushion, pushing away Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's shot on the turn and then palming another goal-bound shot from Jarvis behind for a corner.

As torrential rain combined with even stronger winds to make conditions worse, Johnson withdrew Ivan Sproule and sent on former Wolves winger Michael McIndoe for the final 30 minutes.

And McIndoe was immediately in the thick of the action, sending over a corner kick and inviting Orr to try his luck with a fierce volley which flew narrowly off target.

City were now building an impressive head of steam, forcing the leaders to resort to desperate defence to protect their slender lead. Marvin Elliott twice had shots charged down, while Maynard sent a left-footed curler fizzing wide of Hennessey's right-hand post.

When Elliott and Maynard combined to open up the visitors' defence 20 minutes from time, the latter blazed over the bar from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy.