Wolves may be in dire need of more goals to keep them in the Premier League. But this barren stalemate with Liverpool will do for starters.

A re-shaped team proved the equal of opponents who have had their own troubles this season but after three league defeats in a row Mick McCarthy will welcome a performance and result which got a discernible nod of approval from the Molineux fans at the finish.

Just how successful an operation Wolves mounted in locking out Liverpool while nudging at the gates of an even better reward will most likely depend on how you rate Rafa Benitez’s men.

Rarely can the Reds from Anfield have brought a more anaemic challenge to Molineux in modern times which will have had some fans desperate for McCarthy’s men to have shown a little more ambition in a contest which at times was difficult to enjoy.

But the more realistic view is that for all their difficulties this season, and the pressure perpetually heaped on their manager, this is a Liverpool team three-digit millions ahead of Wolves in investment – and one which can still talk credibly about finishing in the top four.

The value of the point can be more properly gauged at the end of the campaign but today it feels like one small step on the long road to survival – and enough to keep McCarthy’s team out of the bottom three while their rivals were jostling for position in other combat.

Burnley, Hull and Portsmouth are now in the relegation positions and Wolves will believe they can out-perform that trio over the final third of the campaign.

Whether or not the changes made by the manager reflected a horses-for-courses selection for Liverpool or point the way forward more permanently remains to be seen. But his 4-1-4-1 formation enjoyed a solid enough debut at an important moment in the campaign.

Michael Mancienne’s position in front of the back four, guarding the areas that Liverpool’s talismanic captain Steve Gerrard exploits so well, ensured that the England star’s influence was muted.

Equally, Karl Henry’s shift to a more advanced midfield role saw Wolves captain respond with typical enthusiasm even if he was not able to get into the goal-threatening areas envisaged during the dry runs in training.

But the key to it all was the performance of the poor so-and-so who has to work the opposition back-line by himself and in this Wolves got an absolutely outstanding display from Kevin Doyle. McCarthy’s assertion after the game that Molineux can rarely have witnessed a finer centre-forward display since Beta-Max was the nation’s preferred choice of video watching.

Okay, so many will have preferred some of Steve Bull’s goalscoring feats but you take McCarthy’s point – Doyle’s energy, technique, craft, ability to hold or carry the ball and most importantly, buy time to receive support from his midfield colleagues was truly impressive and required an all-round display of a centre-forward’s skills.

“He can play that role,” insisted McCarthy, suggesting that his record signing has got some more lone patrols ahead of him. It need not be at the expense of the goal threat from the only Wolves striker to carry any so far this season.

Indeed, Doyle was a shade unfortunate not to win this game for his side in the few moments of goalmouth activity either side mustered.

Wolves best moments came either side of the interval with Matt Jarvis’s wing play, which at times had Jamie Carragher in all sorts of discomfort, the service provider. From one cross in the 33rd minute, Doyle got to the near post to flick a shot goalwards only for Emiliano Insua to make a vital challenge.

And then when Jarvis repeated his acceleration past Carragher but centred to the far post, Kevin Foley headed into the relieved arms of Pepe Reine with team mates begging for the chance to apply a finishing touch.

It was much like that for Wolves after the interval too – nearly, but not quite. Doyle slammed one shot just fractionally over and stretched every inch he could muster to reach  a Ronald Zubar cross but could not find sufficient purchase in his header to beat Reine.

How the Wolves fans ached for a moment of defeat for the Liverpool goalkeeper who was reminded in no uncertain terms that they were unimpressed with his role in the sending off of Stephen Ward in the Anfield game at Christmas. But it would not come and as Wolves tired and lost the fragmented attacking moments they had gathered, so the focus returned to preserving the point they deserved.

To this end, Jody Craddock’s splendid concentration and faultless defending supplemented the sharp pace in the tackle of Zubar. The French defender may look a little ‘leggy’ in possession at times but he saw off Albert Riera convincingly and still had time to support Kevin Foley ahead of him.

In truth, Wolves snuffed out the Liverpool threat with a measure of certainty which should serve them well as they now prepare for second phase of this demanding week and the trip to Hull City.

Other then collecting a lofted lob from Riera without too much difficulty, Marcus Hahnemann was barely troubled in goal which should be viewed as a tribute to Wolves defensive powers more than the weakness of a Torres-less Liverpool attack.

With a little more composure on the ball, a little more ambition going forward, Wolves might have taken three points but they will hope to change the emphasis of their football in this system against less daunting opponents.

No, this was a tough assignment, well thought out and executed by management and players. And it will look an even better point if those qualities are repeated and bring home another valuable result from Hull at the weekend.

By Martin Swain.