Wolves started the game with a question mark hanging over their finishing. The answer sends a message out to their rivals.

Wanderers started the game the brighter of the two sides, with Mark Kennedy setting the example to be followed as Wolves scrapped and fought for every ball, but an early tangle saw Vio Ganea receive medical treatment on a suspected broken nose that seemed to pacify the Romanian striker for the rest of the half.

Long range shots from Kennedy, Tom Huddlestone and Colin Cameron capped moves that left Derby players looking like static passengers on a rollercoaster that could see them in the relegation slots by Saturday night.

With wolves playing the kind of pass and move football that has become a trademark of Glenn Hoddle's sides, Derby reverted to long ball tactics, and their over reliance on Inigo Idiakez was exposed with their main threat coming from deadball situations.

For much of the half Wolves seemed to be cruising, with Jody Craddock exceptional in defence, but Derby County fought their way back into the match and towards the end of the first 45 secured a rash of corners. Goalmouth scrambles ensued, and Derby eventually hit the bar, although had Derby scored it would have done Wolves a total injustice.

First Half 0-0

The second half started brightly with Derby finally finding the ability to pass, and ghosts of Watford started to appear. A succession of poor efforts on goal followed as for ten minutes Derby remembered that football is a game best played to feet,  but on 55 minutes and shortly after a Seol cross had begged for a striker to find a finishing touch came the decision that would change the whole fixture.

They say cometh the hour, cometh the man. And so it was, that on a cold Friday night,and 2 years, 7 months, and 27 days since he last scored for Wolves(cheers Toomb) George Ndah turned back the clock and turned the game.

With Derby still threatening the Wolves goal Glenn Hoddle gave George the nod, and he replaced the out of sorts, Leon Clarke and his impact was instant. Within minutes he was causing mayhem in the County box, hurling himself at a Lee Naylor corner and creating panic amongst the Derby defenders. Shortly after, a high challenge on Peter Whittingham made a mockery of his fragile tag, and was lucky not to earn him a yellow card, but by now N'dah was on fire. In Wolves next move he jinked deep into the Derby box and from the deadball line drilled in a hard low cross that Tudgay did well to deflect behind the Derby goal. From the resulting outswinging corner Ndah lost his man, and diving full length to reach Lee Naylors cross headed the ball past a helpless Lee Camp and into the net. 

From that moment on, the points were only going to one team. Wolves slick passing game returned, and The Rams became sheep in a slaughter.

On 79 minutes Huddlestone picked the ball up on the edge of his own area, playing a short ball to Ndah, who waltzed around 3 Derby players before laying it off to Colin Cameron whose raking pass was picked up by the previously concussed Vaio Ganea deep in the left hand side of the Derby half. Ganea's lofted cross to Seol on the right was cut out midflight by the rattled Derby defence, but only headed as far as the advancing Huddlestone. Ganea continued his diagonal run into the right of the Derby penalty area to receive a perfectly weighted faked pass from Huddlestone and in a moment of sublime skill and audacity Ganea backheeled the ball into the path of the former Derby man who calmy side footed the ball home for his first ever senior goal , silencing the constant boos of the County faithfull.

By now Wolves were rampant. A fizzing trademark shot from Lee Naylor went inches wide and on 85 minutes with Derby in disarray Vio Ganea maintained his career career average of a goal every two games with rasping left foot shot.

Starting with Seol winning possession on the half way line, Wolves worked the ball out of defence with an 8 pass move the ended with Seol now in the top left hand corner of the Derby 12 yard box receiving the ball back from Ganea. Mesmerising the Derby defenders, the South Korean World Cup star dribbled along the edge of the box before Derby sub Emerson Thome got a boot in, forcing the ball out to the inform Lee Naylor. Playing a cheeky one-two with Derby's Tommy Smith, Naylor received the County man's delicately chipped return ball and with the edge of his left boot guided the ball to Ganea standing on the edge of the Derby area with his back to goal. Turning the by now hapless Thome inside out, Ganea strode into the box and unleashed an unstoppable near post shot sending the Derby keeper the wrong way to score Wolves 10th goal in 3 visits at Pride Park, and the Wolves travelling fans into rapture.

Shortly before full time, and with the Derby fans streaming out of the gates Seol missed a guilt edged chance to make it 4 when unmarked in the 6 yard box, he rwas picked out by a pin point Lee Naylor cross. His tame header went straight into the arms of Lee Camp, but it wasnt a night for critiscism as to a man, the finishing 11 had stood up to be counted, and not found wanting.

After the game, Glenn Hoddle confirmed Wolves have agreed loan extension for Tom Huddlestone with Spurs, but any hopes of a longer stay than New Year appear to be dashed.

"Spurs want him back for the FA Cup but they think it’s good for his development to carry on with us until then," the Wolves manager said.

"He’s going to be a fine player if he keeps developing. He’s such a good passer and he’s good from set-plays, at both ends. George Ndah deserves a mention too, after all he’s been through. Everyone in that dressing-room is delighted for him."

A sentiment echoed bythe Wolves faithfull all around the world. Wanderers must now look to consolidate the teams performance on Tuesday when league leaders Sheffield United come to Molineux in a mouthwatering clash of the two sides

DERBY COUNTY (4-4-2): L Camp — R Jackson, A Davies, M Johnson (sub: E EThome, 56min), P Whittingham — M Bisgaard, I Idiákez, S Johnson, T Smith — D Blackstock, M Tudgay (sub: P Peschisolido, 72). Substitutes: K Poole, A Bolder, J Jackson.

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (4-4-2): S Postma — R Edwards, J Craddock, J Lescott, L Naylor — C Cameron, T Huddlestone, M Kennedy, Seol Ki Hyun — V Ganea, L Clarke (sub: G Ndah, 56). Substitutes: M Oakes, S Olofinjana, D Anderton, G Gyepes.

Referee: A Leake.

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