Jamie O’Hara today urged Wolves to be a mean machine against Albion on Sunday  – by holding onto a lead.

Wolves head into the Black Country derby as the Premier League’s comeback kings this season with 13 points retrieved from losing positions – more than any other side.

Saturday’s welcome 2-1 win at QPR was the latest example of McCarthy’s side coming from behind to claim points.

They also beat Blackburn and Sunderland from a trailing position, while they have also rescued draws against Swansea, Norwich, Arsenal and Bolton in 2011-12 after conceding.

By contrast, Wolves have only taken seven points when they have taken the lead, holding on to beat Fulham and Wigan and drawing at Tottenham, but tossing away three points against Everton and Stoke after leading through Stephen Hunt penalties in both.

Wolves led in both games against the Baggies last season, drawing at The Hawthorns when O’Hara’s Goal of the Season was cancelled out by Carlos Vela’s 94th-minute equaliser, then easing to a 3-1 win at Molineux in May.

“It speaks volumes for team spirit and the way we go about things, but it would be nice to go 1-0 up and hold on to a lead,” said fit-again midfielder O’Hara.

“We don’t lose too many when we go ahead but it just seems that this season we’re giving away sloppy goals and mistakes have ended up costing us.”

O’Hara is relieved to be able to effect matters from the pitch again after two months out with a double hernia and groin problems.

But the £5m summer signing from Tottenham made light of his injury concerns by returning at Loftus Road with a man-of-the-match performance despite only playing 45 minutes in a reserve game beforehand.

“It’s great to be back,” he said. “I’ve had a bit of a hard time because I’ve had my hernias done and then my groin has been a problem, but it’s great to be playing again.

“I only trained for a day and then played the reserve game, but I was dying to get back.

“I said to the gaffer ‘put me in’ because I didn’t feel as if I’d lost much match fitness, so it was great to do a job for the team.”

Wolves took just four points from eight games during O’Hara’s absence.

Always a passionate talker on and off the pitch, the 25-year-old admitted he was hurting not being able to help the team as they struggled.

“It’s been really tough for me sitting there knowing I can’t do anything to help the team and that’s what hurt the most,” he said.

“So it was great to come back and get a win straight away.

“It was a massive win for us. We’ve had a tough spell – we’ve had some good performances but just not picked up the right results.

“It just seems that this season we’ve had some good games and played well but it just hasn’t happened for us.

“So to go away from home against a new-look team and win, even though they had a man sent off, was great.”

Meanwhile, O’Hara defended chairman Steve Morgan’s decision to come into the dressing room following the Liverpool defeat nine days ago.

“I’m all for the chairman coming into the dressing room and giving the lads a boost,” he said.

“Steve Morgan has done a fantastic job for Wolves and he’s made this club a big force now.”