A warm summer evening, a healthy crowd (no Jezzica there was NO EMPTY SEATS) and the anticipation of things to come, there seemed no possibility of a cock up. Wolves lined up almost as predicted, the injured Sturridge on the bench and Naylor keeping his place from supa Mo, but where's "the Guvoner"? I fully expected him to be on the bench and make a last 10 minute or so appearance - but obviously Davy knows best!!

Wolves lined up for the home leg of our only real local derby (and very happy I am about it also), against Walsall. Walsall a team consisting of ex Wolves players, an ex-manager, sponsored by Wolverhampton's favourite past-time and best known "export" and a small town looking to aspire to us - they even have to start their small town with the same initial. Wolves started with the usual huddle - quickly copied of course by the small town boys. Jealousy is a strong emotion, but copying can be seen as the greatest form of flattery! The crowd was in a very buoyant mood, the firework display, a giant shirt in the north bank and the seemingly 12inch extended remix of the liquidator all helping to create a good atmosphere - although putting the price of the beer up didn't help (also 90p for some doritos????).

Wolves started strongly and quickly showed plenty of team play with lots of short passing movements. To start with it seemed that the team wanted to repay some of the debt of last season, with Cameron and Blake both coming close with headers, but with the first decisive move of the game, Wolves took the lead. Some neat interchanges on the right hand side, on 11 minutes saw Newton cross only for Miller to deftly dummy for the advancing Cameron to slide home the ball into the southbank end net from all of 6 yards. This gave more incentive and the early pressure continued, Walsall in fairness were having to re-organise after some albion reject was substituted but for all of Wolves' pressure we could not increase our dominance.

Half Time 1-0

Wolves started the second half in the same way and pace as the first, looking confident and hungry. Then on 55 minutes we got a deserved second goal. Another Newton pass high over the defence was headed on by Miller and Cameron raced onto it before the advancing keeper, on the edge of the area and just managed to steer the ball home inside the post from a very acute angle. This should have been the signal for an avalanche of goals, but as usual Wolves stepped off the gas and left the gate open for Walsall. With a seemingly open invite Walsall started to take control of the midfield and started to give Naylor a pretty torrid time on the left flank, in fact all of their attacks came down Wolves' left - was this because Irwin was dominant or their right back having the better of Naylor?

Anyway this dominance paid dividends on 68 minutes as their sub nipped in at the back post to score in a similar vein to Cameron's first. This meant a very nervy 20 minutes as all of the ghosts of previous matches came home to roost. However on 86 minutes a neat chase down and cross from the substitute Proudlock saw Newton drill home from close range. Oh yes and how that was needed. This signalled a mass exodus from our "Mini Me's" and three points in the bag for Wolves.

Overall this was a pleasing win for Wolves from a possible banana skin of a game, however at times Wolves showed dominance and some neat skills with lots of short passing movements, with plenty of food for thought for the future. If I had any doubts then it is where the goals are coming from, all three were from midfielders whilst all four strikers were used during the game. I feel sorry for Miller who showed plenty of class and the decision to sub him was resolutely booed by the crowd.

Much improved but could do better!!

FT: 3-1