After the sublime performance against Newcastle, it was back to the mundane with a game played on a ridicuoluous pitch. Last Sunday's win against the fourth-placed Premiership team, showed the kind of football, the kind of specatacle, and the kind of enjoyment that we could expect if we ever manage to pull ourselves out of this quagmire of a division.

And, if we needed any reminding, this is the kind of game which shows why we have to get out of the division of hell. A derby game against a team whose fan's hate us, even though I've never met a Wolves fan who was anything worse than indifferent to the plight of our poorer neighbours. Walsall are not a bad team, but they are a bargain-basement team, a team of half-decent journeymen who have made their names at other Division 1 clubs, some of them with Wolves. The pitch was mud, sand and ice, a World War One battlefield of a pitch, a pitch which made decent football improbable and multiplied the chance of an important mistake. Unlike the Cup triumph of last week, this was not a game for neutrals.

Dave Jones unsuprisingly stook with the same team as last Sunday, while Walsall's new loan signing, Neil Emblen had a place on the bench next to his ex-Wolves colleague Steve Corica. Ex-Wolves defender Bazeley was also in the Walsall team along with Ex-Baggies player Matt Carbon and ex-Wolves target Danny Sonner.

The match started with a flurry of free kicks for Wolves which ended with a cross by Irwin which the Walsall goalie, Walker, did well to pluck out of the air.

Wolves had a few other early chances, but they were generous to their neighbours, with Newton shooting high and wide from a loose ball, Kennedy doing the same from a 20 yard free-kick and Miller having a fierce shot blocked by Carbon.

The poor conditions were making the football difficult to watch, but both sides were making the effort. For Walsall, Roper headed wide from a Junior free kick, and Junior himself shot wide shortly after, having had his first attempt blocked. Probably Walsall's best attempt on goal in the first half was when O'Connor, after a neat interchange with Junior, lashed the ball over the bar from 25 yards out.

Towards the end of the half Ndah saw a cross/shot drift wide of the post and Naylor saw a long range effort go just wide. Overall a disappointing comedown, but as we hadn't conceded an early goal, there was still hope for the second half, even on this pudding of a pitch.

HT Walsall 0 Wolves 0

Wolves started the second half brightly with Miller shooting over the bar after some good build up play from Ince. Walker, the Walsall goalkeeper, had to scramble the ball clear after a Ndah shot had come off Aranalde.

Then there was some prolonged treatment for Newton who had collided with someone in the Walsall area. He was taken off shortly after, with Proudlock joining Ndah up front and Miller moving out to the right wing.

Before the substituion however, the conditions, coupled with sloppy play from Kennedy, conspired to provide Walsall with an opportunity. Kennedy gave the ball away by the half-way line and it looked like Junior would break clear, but he miscontrolled and the ball to ran away from him.

But then it was the time for the conditions to force a decisive mistake - an outcome that had always looked likely to settle this match. A back-pass seemed to bobble on a divet just before Walker's was about to connect for a clearance. The unfortunate Walker scrambled back to keep the ball out the net, but he only managed to knock the ball to Ndah who, unmarked had one of the easiest jobs of the afternoon to slot the ball into the back of the Walsall net. Out of nothing, a stupid mistake had provided Wolves with the lead. Walsall 0 Wolves 1.

With Walsall trying hard to force an equaliser, Junior curled a free kick just over the Wolves bar. Then, after a corner, he jinked his way into the area only to send the ball harmlessly across the face of the Wolves' goal.

Walsall again caused problems from a free kick, this time Aranalde sending one into the box which Murray dropped. Luckily it was hooked clear.

Just before the end Corica came on for Walsall, to add to the other ex-Wolves stalwart Emblen, making Walsall look a little bit like Wolves 'B' team.

This was an important win for Wolves, but it was also an unconvincing one. It halted a five game win-less league run, but Wolves didn't reach anywhere near the heights of their FA Cup performance of less than a week ago. Other results went in Wolves favour and so we climbed up the table to eighth, only one point off a play-off place. Although this was the 'big one' compared to the Newcastle game, somehow victory didn't feel anything like as euphoric.

FT Walsall 0 Wolves 1