Finish line in sight for Wolves - analysis and pictures

But if ever there was a performance to convince the gold and black family that, as the old song goes, nothing's gonna' stop them now, this was it.

Many moods have accompanied this campaign. Curiosity, concern, criticism slowly giving way to optimism, acclaim and genuine pleasure and pride at the transformation brought about by Kenny Jackett. Going to Molineux in 2014 is to once more anticipate some exciting – and stylish – football, goals and victories.

But perhaps the defeat of Peterborough was the first time we saw an air of inevitability about the entire process. Wolves won at a canter, a team playing with a rock solid certainty of victory in one hand and a lit cigar in the other.

It really was that easy for them and a crestfallen Darren Ferguson admitted it. The last time he was on his old stomping ground, Peterborough delivered a 3-0 beating to usher Stale Solbakken into a winter of discontent and ultimately the sack.

Ferguson's team won that day the way Wolves' old midfielder likes his teams to win – by keeping the ball, pressing forward, scoring well-crafted goals. How refreshing it is now to see the boot on the other foot.

If Wolves win their next two games then the job will be done, putting aside the secondary dispute over the icing of the title itself.

Easter looms large as a potential party date and with it the prospect of success for the latest fans' campaign to generate a symbolic 30,000 Molineux gate for the Good Friday tussle with the one club which can keep Jackett's players waiting, Rotherham.

On a day when union was very much in the air at Molineux, this growing vote of approval from a previously disaffected public is not to be under-estimated.

When Wolves came tumbling out of the Championship on a torrent of bitterness and at times viscous criticism, it wasn't a 'given' that they would conduct this unappealing campaign with an average gate in excess of 19 clubs in the second tier.

But slowly, steadily and now unmistakably, the 'feelgood' is back, so much so that after co-habiting on the South Bank for a couple of years, one Wolves fan even went down on one knee at half-time to ask his fellow devotee for her hand in marriage.

Such happy frivolity would have been out of step with events at Molineux in the previous two seasons.

But aside from rebuilding a team, Jackett has also been part-marriage counsellor in bringing back from the brink of divorce a Wolves public which felt cheated by the players. No, if you are searching for something to worry about at Molineux these days then it is the future and not the now.

Just how good are these players? How many will cope in the Championship? Will Kevin McDonald be just as effective? Will Danny Batth be as commanding? And so on.

The point being that this season surely holds no further questions for this team other than when they will get the job done. Saturday told us that.

Even allowing for the opposition's notorious inconsistency – although they remain favourites to claim the last play-off spot – Wolves' authority was impressive. They were kept waiting until the second half for the goals that would take them to 90 points but there was little doubt those goals would come because of their control.

Once again, McDonald established himself as the fulcrum of the team with a performance of overwhelming influence, but it was the shut-down at the back which crushed Peterborough's optimism for a grandstand performance; they were fully 66 minutes before registering an attempt on goal.

You can take your pick for man of the match, although the contenders would have to include the architect and scorer of the opening goal two minutes into the secons period.

Sam Ricketts provided the cross for a Danny Batth finish which came off his forehead like a half-volley out of a cricket bat's sweet spot.

Ricketts, who so nearly scored himself soon after but was denied by the excellent Bobby Olejnik in the visitors' goal, was faultless in defence while carrying a positive impact going forward.

Batth had one of his games of the season – and that is saying something. Britt Assombalonga, the division's Golden Boot leader, was pressed into a figure of increasing irrelevance by the defender who has come to mean everything to the refurbished Wolves.

That is not to overlook the contribution of Richard Stearman either and, with Scott Golbourne's high-level consistency already noted in the ledger, good luck to all trying to sort out this campaign's Player of the Season.

It's a goalkeeper's fate that, as he becomes less and less busy, he can become increasingly overlooked. But it is to be hoped Carl Ikeme is also a significant runner in the awards and not just for the outstanding, result-clinching form of the first half of the season.

Ikeme, idle for so much of this contest, executed one of the most satisfying elements of his trade by retaining the concentration to make an outstanding save late on to deny Michael Bostwick a goal from range.

It was never going to change the result but it was not without significance as the 23rd clean sheet broke the club's post-war record from 1987-88 and equalled the overall best from 90 years ago.

But even as Bakary Sako and Michael Jacobs met with their frustrations in trying to create or complete the breakthroughs, Wolves heavily outnumbered their opponents in all the key aspects of the game, racking up a 14-5 shots tally, 7-2 on target, all from the lion's share of possession this team now covets and protects.

Sako it was, however, who conjured one of those moments which have proved instrumental in the sweep of victories since the turn of the year which have propelled his team to such a dominant position.

After's Batth's opener, the Frenchman caught everyone by surprise with the typical ferocity of a left-foot shot from a 25-yard free-kick which Olenik just reached at the foot of his right-hand post.

That in itself was an act of wonder for the valiant keeper but he could not prevent the ball rebounding out off the post for Dave Edwards to add another to his recent collection – a reward for another display of selfless running from the attacking midfielder.

That Sako then attempted to lift the bar off its moorings with a penalty – once more won by the persistent handful that is Nouha Dicko – which was sadly not as accurate as it was powerful was a mere irritation.

Wolves were already home and hosed which many will now suspect applies also to their promotion challenge.

They can be forgiven, however, for not speaking it just yet.