Molineux hasn’t been as viscerally engaged for a long time

A Black Country derby complete with a supercharged atmosphere to stir the sinews and a dominant Wolves performance regardless of the narrowness of the winning margin.

Molineux hasn’t been as viscerally engaged for a long time; even last season’s unexpected floodlit victories over Villa and Liverpool failed to stimulate an atmosphere as vibrant as this game engendered.

Old habits die hard and demonstrably the hinges of friendship remain somewhat rusty.

It resembled walking into a familiar room and anticipating something special was in the air.

Albion misfired all game and were heroically bailed out by an inspired Max O’Leary, but ultimately justice was done without the sort of controversy that marred the previous clash at The Hawthorns.

Particularly encouraging after appearing defensively disorganised in what seemed to be a hangover from last season, was a second clean sheet after neutralising Sheffield United in our previous Championship game.

The Albion shutout was just about as comfortable as it gets; whatever the reasons, Wolves simply weren’t remotely threatened.

Albion exerted no pressure, neither strenuous nor sustained.

Shouldn’t forget either that in between, stout resistance saw a makeshift Wolves stubbornly frustrate an almost full-strength Everton for 80 minutes in the League Cup game at a packed Hill Dickinson stadium last week.

One regrettable and surprising drawback was Peixoto’s post-match comments suggesting a perceived lack of commitment from the absent Ladislav Krejci.

As he showed at Birmingham, the Czech is a huge asset in this league and even if his time at Molineux is drawing to a close, any concentrated input from him could prove to be invaluable.

A spat which hopefully can be healed if only for the short term.

The subsequent restoration of Toti to the heart of the defence predictably instigated some trepidation; erratic he can be but he responded with a stormer, pairing so effectively with the increasingly assured and impressive Nasser Djiga.

That sent us into an interminably extended international impingement in decidedly good spirits, but a season is not defined on a single result achieved in September.

There’s considerable scope for improvement in this Wolves squad but at least this result certainly consolidates what is clearly a satisfactory start.

No riots this time, but the wanton defacing of an Albion linked hostelry and the daubing of the new Wolves’ subway mural were equally depressing.

Just what sort of kick the culprits derive from such puerile behaviour defeats me.

When Wolves visit The Hawthorns in February, can these misguided zealots give us all a break?