Forest came into this match on a good run of form and - to be honest - they looked a better side than Wolves for large parts of this match. But - as we found to our dismay last season - its not where you start, or where you are at half time, or even how well you play - its the score at the end of the match which counts.

Andrews replaced the suspended Ince and - after the bid to get Ferdinand on loan was scuppered by Tottenham manager Hoddle - the rest of the Wolves squad remained unchanged. I must admit I was a little surprised that Proudlock wasn't recalled from his loan spell, as Sturridge was carrying an injury and we had no other striker on the bench.

After a pretty even start Forest gave us a foreboding of how the rest of the half was going to be when Johnson headed home from a corner, but luckily the referee ruled it out for offside. At the other end, Wolves failed to make any headway, making it plain that Sturridge and Miller can't play up front together. The only chance of note was when Miller headed wide from a Sturridge cross.

Forest on the other hand were demonstrating why they should end up in the play-offs at least. They had quite a few chances, Lester had a shot blocked, and Murray had to save well from Williams on two occassions. The second one, a brilliant parried save from a close range header right at the end of normal time in the first half, seemed to signal that we would have time to regroup at half time.

But Wolves didn't manage to hold out. Two minutes into time added on Harewood, surrounded by Wolves defenders, somehow managed to sneak a low shot through the defenders and past the outstretched hand of Murray. 1-0 Forest. As seems to be becoming the norm this season, Wolves had started slowly and let the opposition score first.

HT Wolves 0 Nottm Forest 1

Wolves started the second half a little brighter. Andrews had a shot from 18 yards which went wide just after the restart, and Clyde did similarly with his 25 yard effort. But Forest were looking pretty solid and it really looked like it was going to be the East Midland's team's day.

But then Cooper was brought on for a pretty ineffective Newton, and the lad that we got from Wimbledon showed something of the attitude that he had in the play off second leg last season. Five minutes after he had come on he forced the first save of note from the Forest goalie, Ward. His shot from six yards was parried.

A minute later Cooper had a hand in the turning point of the match. A poor clearance by the Forest defender Dawson fell to Cooper who immediately sent it to Miller on the edge of the Forest box. Miller used the space he was in brilliantly. He took the ball, feigned to go left, got the ball on his right foot and sent a low shot into the corner of the net. More or less against the run of play Wolves were level, and the noise around Molineux was unbelievable. Wolves 1 Forest 1.

Within a couple of minutes Wolves were - incredibly - in the lead. Kennedy won a disputed free kick on the left hand side of the Forest area. Cooper took it quickly and Sturridge, who had been mainly absent the whole match, rose unchallenged and sent a bullet header into the back of the Forest net. 2-1 Wolves.

Wolves' second goal was by no means the end of the match. Forest went close to get an equaliser three times in the last ten minutes. Almost from the re-start Harewood's shot was pushed by Murray's fingertips onto the post. But Forest weren't finished there. Substitute Jess sent in a cross and Lester, with the goal at his mercy, sent his header wide. Then Clyde gave away a free kick on the edge of the area which was sent into the box, avoiding everyone and going just past the post. It was all Forest pressure, but Wolves held firm to take the spoils in what could well be a promotion "six-pointer".

This match was full of niggle, but not on the scale of Branch's despicable goal of two season's ago, or even of Miller's broken collar bone of last season. Wolves left it even later last season with an injury time winner, but this win was much more unexpected. It takes some character for a team to be outplayed for most of a match, and yet go on and score two goals to win. The best teams manage to win when they play badly, but its quite obvious that we'll need something more when we go to Rotherham. Sturridge was apparantly playing through the pain barrier and wanted to come off at half time. With Rousell on semi-permament loan and Blake out until after Christmas, we have a severe striker shortage. Let's hope that Moxey loosens the purse strings and we get a decent striker in on loan.

FT Wolves 2 Nottm Forest 1