Fulham v Wolves - five talking points

Wolves won their first game for a month as they impressively beat Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage.

Kenny Jackett's team belied their recent poor form, coasting home with goals from Adam Le Fondre, Sheyi Ojo and James Henry.

Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers picks out five talking points.

Wolves had hinted, in spells, that they were capable of producing something like this.

But that's all they were, hints. And pretty obscure hints at that.

Here, though, was a dominant 90-minute performance worthy of a team challenging for promotion, as Wolves finally clicked.

Up to now Kenny Jackett's team have looked more like possible relegation candidates than Premier League hopefuls, but they proved they still have it in them, as we all knew they could.

For the second game in four days they were handed an advantage in the form of a sending off for the opposition.

Make no mistake, having that extra man shouldn't detract anything from this performance. After all, Wolves struggled to break down nine men at Deepdale.

The hope is that this is the start of a prolonged, consistent run of good form, rather than a one-off.

And isn't it nice to be looking up the table rather than down it, with Wolves now 10th and three points off the place offs, instead of 16th and three points off the bottom of the league.

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Isn't it amazing what a new contract can do.

McDonald gave his best performance of the season at Deepdale on Saturday, 24 hours after finally signing that new deal.

And against Fulham, the team that in another summer could well have signed McDonald, the Scot was even better.

Amazing to think that just a week ago McDonald was out of the team with his immediate Wolves future looking grim.

Since then he's penned a new contract, given two man of the match displays and earned a call-up to the Scotland squad.

Football, as they say, is a funny old game.

McDonald ran the show at Craven Cottage, from first minute to last, pulling all the strings in midfield, attempting countless 'key' passes which on another day would have set up several goals, going on mazy Zidane-esque runs taking people on, and even getting a couple of sliding tackles in.

Jamie O'Hara, whose early season form this week earned him a PFA award nomination for Championship player of the month, was completely outshone, much to the pleasure of the travelling fans.

But far more importantly than that, McDonald looks back to his Wolves vintage. As the catchphrase goes, when McDonald plays well, so do Wolves.

There were many good individual performances on the night, chiefly Benik Afobe who did everything but score, excelling in his role off Adam Le Fondre and giving the Fulham back line a constant headache with his movement and vision.

Also impressive were the centre half pairing of Danny Batth and Kortney Hause, who played a big part in securing the team's second clean sheet of the season.

Hause has probably given his two most assured displays of the campaign so far in the past two matches.

That's partly down to red cards for the opposition, but it's also down to the calming, domineering presence of Batth alongside him, who looks like he's never been away and is just the partner Hause needs.

James Henry and Jack Price were also impressive, particularly Henry in the second half when back to his more familiar right wing position.

But above them all came Dominic Iorfa. A majestic display from the young defender, who continues to make a mockery of the fact right-back isn't his natural position.

He endured a testing time against Ben Pringle in the early stages but was soon in his stride, effortlessly retaining possession at important moments and getting Wolves moving from the back with that galloping gazelle-like stride of his.

One first half run saw him almost reach the Fulham box after starting just outside his own. There are fewer sights more joyous in this Wolves team that watching Iorfa in full flow.

There's no doubting Sheyi Ojo's contribution to this victory.

In a tactical masterstroke, Jackett sent on Ojo at half time with what was a positive, proactive and game-changing substitution, for within 14 minutes the teenager had created one goal and scored another.

That's two games in a row in which Ojo has played a blinder from the bench, but has he done enough to start against Huddersfield?

Undoubtedly yes, but Ojo has struggled to replicate his substitute cameos over a 90-minute period and his talents are, for the moment, best utilised in 30 or 45 minute bursts to stretch the tiring opposition with his pace, power and direct approach.

Nathan Byrne was unfortunate to be withdrawn at the break and the wide man will be desperate to impress against Huddersfield.

How refreshing would it be to see Jackett select the same XI? His substitutions have proved very effective of late, and long may that continue.

Conor Coady of course returns from suspension, but with McDonald and Price so dominant here, the former Terrier may have to be content with a place alongside Ojo on the bench.

Following a tumultuous 24 hours, it was important for Wolves to take the focus away from the ongoing uncertainty over the club ownership.

After all, winning games of football is all that matters at the end of the day, and Wolves did exactly that to put a smile back of the faces of their supporters.

Jackett spoke afterwards of his surprise at Steve Morgan's decision to sell the club, saying he had no prior indication of the bombshell.

And the head coach may be pleased to see that the issue hasn't distracted his players, not that he would have expected it to in the slightest.

Another narrative surrounding the game, that of Richard Stearman facing his old club, also passed by without drama or incident, i.e. he didn't apply the unwritten rule and score against his former team mates.

In fact it ended on a poignant note when Stearman, the last player left on the field at full time, warming applauded the travelling Wolves fans who heartily sang his name.