It was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly for Wolves following their latest friendly win.

First the good. Mick McCarthy’s side won a game they surely would have lost or drawn this time last year as they showed extreme professionalism to thwart a slick side just a week away from the start of their own season.

Now for the bad and the ugly.

In a chilling return to days we thought we had long left behind, Wolves and Charleroi ‘fans’ briefly turned the city’s main square cold in scenes that, but for the swift intervention of the police, could have escalated into the riot between England and Germany thugs in the same place at the European Championships in 2000.

Thankfully, the authorities had been tipped off about this pre-arranged trouble to gather sufficient resources to stop it escalating.

Mounted police and a water cannon were deployed to disperse the troublemakers before the 100 Wolves ‘followers’ were escorted to the stadium.

Events before the game made for an eerie backdrop to an otherwise entertaining friendly, but that did not prevent some unsavoury scenes inside the stadium as three flares were thrown from the Wolves end of the ground in the second-half.

It was a pity we were left with those memories rather than of a Wolves team that continues to show signs of development and maturity, even allowing for their stiffest test of pre-season.

Probably the biggest positive to emerge was Wolves winning having adapted to a change of formation from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 midway through the second-half, just when the Zebras had started to get on top again.

In doing so, Mick McCarthy’s players showed hard work, tenacity and determination because they could have easily have lost but for some prolifligate finishing from the home side.

If anyone is looking for pointers, maybe it is worth noting that McCarthy has played 4-4-2 for all but the last half-hour on Saturday in the three friendlies so far.

Even allowing for the tactical reshuffle, no-one looked as comfortable as the rejuvenated Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who again played like a man possessed despite being forced to operate wide right with Kevin Doyle in the centre and Andy Keogh left.

But earlier it was a different story.

Wolves trained on the pitch on the morning of the game but they were second best during a competitive first-half as Charleroi, who finished 13th out of 16 in last season’s Jupiler Pro League, looked to stretch them.

In particular, they struggled to deal with livewire forward Cyril Thereau, who kept dropping deep and looking to run at the Wolves defence.

Fortunately for the visitors, his finishing was not as impressive as his approach play and, after gratefully seizing possession when Jody Craddock trod on the ball to leave him in the clear, he could only lash over Carl Ikeme’s goal.

It was Sam Vokes who forced the first serious save when his powerful glancing header was pushed away by the amusingly-named keeper Cyprien Baguette from a cross from Matt Jarvis, playing wide right.

After weathering the storm, Wolves started the second half in much better fashion.

And, after Doyle glanced wide from Greg Halford’s superb cross, the pair combined for the first of two headed goals from the latter’s long throw in the 51st minute.

Doyle’s goal meant all four main strikers have now scored in pre-season and you could sense the relief on the Irishman’s face, after lashing shots in without success from all angles at Walsall.

But Wolves’ lead was short-lived, as Charleroi hit back eight minutes later when Ederson Tormena tapped home Alessandro Cordaro’s low cross.

Their tails up, only a point-blank save from Ikeme to deny Olufade Adekanmi’s header prevented the hosts from taking the lead moments later, as Charleroi announced four of their seven substitutes with a wave of attacking.

Another opening, this time when the unfortunate Craddock missed his tackle, was wasted by the Belgians when Jeremy Serwy blazed over when clean through.

But Wolves, by now having plugged the gaps after adjusting formation, hit back.

They created the move of the match nine minutes from time when Ebanks-Blake saw his header deflected just wide after Adlene Guedioura, one of eight half-time substitutes, reminded his old club of his skills in beating three men on a diagonal run before spreading play to Keogh for a pinpoint cross.

And Wolves were not finished as Dave Edwards’s far post header sealed victory from another Halford throw.

But McCarthy knew it was their hardest test yet.

He said: “It was a difficult game for us. We’ve been back in training for four weeks and it was a good, competitive test. I was pleased with our performance but the result always pleases me most.

“We played 4-4-2 in the first half and the second half but we conceded and they were getting on top.

“Terry Connor said ‘do you think we could go 4-3-3?’ to get back into the game and to add more stability, and we did.

“What was nice was the adaptability of Sylvan, Kevin, Andy and Adlene. They all just slotted into position and they made us very hard to break down.

“They were very disciplined and they did their jobs, whereas last season I might have had to change people to do it.

By Tim Nash