That’s the starter out of the way – now for the main course.

That sounds rather dismissive of Wolves’ latest Championship victims, but after Blackpool were left as the picked-out carcass Wolves fans could be forgiven for thinking ahead to bigger items on the menu.

After all, with big fishes Sheffield United and Birmingham looming, this could be a tasty week in the Championship promotion race.

With that in mind, Wolves deserve credit for avoiding any indigestion along the way, as they devoured the Tangerines for their eighth home win in nine and their sixth victory in a row.

Credit too for the way they despatched exactly the sort of opposition that has traditionally attracted the ‘Molineux Factor’.

Blackpool boss Simon Grayson reckonss his team’s sole aim is to stay in English football’s second tier.

The former Villa defender’s honesty is refreshing, but it won’t gain any sympathy around Molineux, because this is exactly the sort of team that has stuck in Wolves’ throat in the last decade and a half.

Which made it all the more satisfying how eager Wolves set about their task and earned another deserved victory.

The ruthless and professional way it was achieved was also significant as boss Mick McCarthy approaches what could be one of the biggest weeks of the promotion race.

With the in-form Michael Mancienne absent due to illness, Carlos Edwards having rejoined Sunderland and captain Karl Henry suspended, Wolves were already three of their best players down from the previous week’s win at Southampton.

By the 54th minute, it was four when Richard Stearman limped off. But McCarthy’s mantra that squads and not teams win things these days is being proved time and again at Molineux this season.

When George Elokobi was injured in the third League game of the season, few expected bit-part player Stephen Ward to become a mainstay at left-back.

Yet 15 games on from that day against Nottingham Forest on August 30, he has looked a more than adequate replacement for the Cameroon-born powerhouse, arguably producing his finest performance on Saturday, his 50th League appearance for the club.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Chris Iwelumo pitched up for £400,000 in the final piece of business before the season started after the flawed pursuits of Kyle Lafferty and Aaron Mclean.

At 30 and after a patchy season at Charlton, many fans thought he would do little more than make the numbers up, and let’s not forget he started on the bench as third-choice striker at Plymouth behind Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Andy Keogh.

Now even McCarthy admits he is “more thrilled than I ever thought I would be” with the impact of a man who is now being talked of in some quarters as the ‘new Dougan’.

His stunning scoring exploits – Saturday’s brace took his tally to 13 goals in 15 games – have elevated him to full international status with Scotland and cult status with Wolves fans.

On Saturday, the former Colchester hitman took the phrase ‘led by example’ to new heights on his first ever appearance as captain. Right now, everything the much-travelled Glaswegian touches turns to gold.

But it is turning into a season of unlikely heroes for Wolves. Those who thought the arrival of three centre-halves in the last five months would squeeze out the claims of Neill Collins have had to think again.

With Mancienne sidelined by a bug picked up from his time with the England squad, Collins renewed his alliance with Stearman as Wolves collected a second successive home clean-sheet.

Few have been bit-part players more than Dave Edwards this season, the midfielder more often than not having to kick his heels patiently until the last 10-15 minutes of games to get off the bench.

But he too stepped up to the plate as he took his chance to replace Henry with both hands.

McCarthy’s “we, not I” philosophy will no doubt be borne out in the fixture pile-up looming ahead. Saturday’s clash kicked off a spell of six games in 22 days up to and including December 13 for Wolves.

Going back to Stearman, the newly-capped England under-21 international has gone close several times to opening his account for the club, but he surely won’t have more chances than this as three golden headed opportunities went begging.

Paul Rachubka made a brilliant save from the first, shortly after the irrepressible Iwelumo had flicked against the bar, but then the former Leicester man got his angles wrong as he dived to head Dave Jones’ free-kick wide and then nodded over with the goal gaping.

Thankfully, Iwelumo spared his blushes when he nonchalantly volleyed into the roof of the net after Blackpool failed to deal with Kevin Foley’s long throw.

For the second game in a row, Wolves started the second half decidedly second best and they should really have been punished when Alan Gow side-footed wide from 12 yards two minutes after the break.

This was the cue for Blackpool’s only spell of superiority, but for all the neat promptings from former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie and Co, they failed to create a single worthwhile chance until Ikeme scrambled wide Adam Hammill’s shot which appeared to be going wide anyway.

Such was the difficulty Wolves were having at the time that Iwelumo’s decisive 66th minute second goal – stabbed home on the turn after the otherwise excellent Rachubka had inexplicably dropped a routine Michael Kightly corner under no pressure – was against the run of play.

That signalled ‘game over’, but what is still refreshing about this young Wolves side is their ability to close out matches.

Just like Burnley and Southampton, they had scored two but through effective impact substitutions, fitness and possession, they shut down the game.

Indeed, they could have won more emphatically, as Sam Vokes twice went close and Keogh was denied at the death.

The only downside for Wolves was the size of the crowd. Despite the team having won five on the bounce, there were only 22,044 present – the club’s lowest Saturday gate of the season.

The credit crunch and freezing conditions were mitigating factors, but at least the brave souls who left their firesides were treated to another home display to warm the hearts.

More of this and the supporters will soon be flocking back.

Because Wolves fans are desperate to cheer a winning team, and in the squad McCarthy has assembled, they appear to have got it.

By Tim Nash