Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Bony scored in either half as Premier League strugglers Swansea beat Championship leaders Wolves in their FA Cup third-round replay.
Ayew opened the scoring with a dazzling individual goal, dribbling past five defenders and finishing neatly to put the hosts ahead at half-time.
Wolves controlled the tie after the interval and responded with a fine solo effort of their own as Diogo Jota twisted and turned his way to an equaliser two minutes after coming on as a substitute.
But that parity lasted only three minutes as Bony pounced on a loose ball to restore Swansea’s lead.
Carlos Carvalhal’s side now face a trip to League Two side Notts County in the fourth round, with the game to be played on Saturday, 27 January.
Bottom of the Premier League and four points adrift of safety, Swansea’s priority is trying to secure their top-flight survival.
It was no surprise, therefore, to see Carvalhal make eight changes from Saturday’s draw at Newcastle.
But there was still ample Premier League quality in the form of their opening goal, scored by one of the three players to retain their place from the previous outing.
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Picking up possession outside the penalty area, Ayew surged clear of two Wolves defenders, turned and then danced his way past another three before clipping the ball delicately over goalkeeper Will Norris to score one of the best goals of the third round.
Swansea seemed to ease off a little from that point, allowing Wolves to keep the ball for long periods and wrestle control of the tie, particularly when Jota drew them level.
But the home side were given a reprieve when Wolves failed to clear a cross from Tom Carroll, with the ball falling invitingly for Bony, who prodded it instinctively beyond Norris to give Swansea only their third home win in all competitions this season.
Despite being a division lower than their opponents, Wolves were made favourites for the original tie by the bookies and they justified the billing with an authoritative display at Molineux which arguably warranted more than a goalless draw.
They are 10 points clear at the top of the Championship and a summer of lavish spending meant they had the strength in depth to make eight changes for this replay, with Ruben Neves – signed from Porto for nearly £16m – among those left on the bench.
Jota, on loan from Atletico Madrid, was another used as a substitute and, when he did emerge, his impact was immediate.
Latching on to a long ball, the Portuguese turned sharply inside the Swansea penalty area to leave Federico Fernandez on his backside before firing into the bottom corner, despite a touch from Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Their lead lasted only three minutes and, although manager Nuno Espirito Santo may view this as a missed opportunity to claim a Premier League scalp, he and his players will be consoled by the fact they are in such a strong position to earn promotion to the top flight.
