Stephen Ward's winner got Wolves off to a flying Barclays Premier League just three months after defeat to the same side almost cost Mick McCarthy's men their top-flight status.

Ward lashed home a left-foot shot in the 48th minute after Paul Robinson saved Kevin Doyle's penalty and the ball was only half-cleared into Ward's path.

Stephen Fletcher had swiftly equalised a debut goal by Mauro Formica in the first half of a match that was a repeat of their survival showdown on the final day of last season.

Wolves started with with new signing Roger Johnson as captain while Rovers boss Steve Kean kept his host of new signings, with the exception of Formica, on the bench.

It was Kean's men who started better and they almost grabbed the lead in the fourth minute when Morten Gamst Pedersen found space on the right to deliver a low cross.

Junior Hoilett stretched his left foot at the far post and looked to have prodded his side ahead, only for Wolves keeper Hennessey to gather in a goal-line melee.

With Rovers still stunned by their near miss, Wolves broke up the other end and Matt Jarvis almost teed up Doyle in the box before the linesman flagged for offside.

Johnson was the first player in referee Kevin Friend's book for a foul on Morten Gamst Pedersen but David Dunn's dangerous-looking free-kick came to nothing with Brett Emerton firing the rebound over the bar.

Jason Roberts' persistence paid off after 20 minutes when he squeezed through two defenders and fed Formica who nudged a left-foot shot across Hennessey and into the net from a tight angle.