Postcard from...Wolverhampton

A few snapshots from last night.

1. How good was Albion's display? I reckon it was the best performance of the season so far. There has been more incident, more goals but man-for-man it's the most complete team performance I've seen of Mowbray's reign. Wolves didn't play badly, it's just that they couldn't live with their rivals. There wasn't a single below-par display from any Albion player. And nobody got intimidated by the occasion or the pressure.

2. Had to feel for poor Shelton Martis. Albion's greatest-ever Dutch Antilles international was beckoned over by a group of 'corporate guests' (presumably Wolves fans) following his warm down. One of the suited-and-booted brigade produced a camera and asked: "Any chance of a photo, Ishmael...?" Shelton's turn of pace was impressive to say the least.

3. Pubs shut, cafes closed, shops with the shutters down - Wolverhampton city centre was like a scene from a post-Apocalyptic film yesterday tea-time. Please, no jokes about it being business as usual then...

4. Which got me thinking how Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, north London police cope with derby games? Does the whole of Glasgow shut down four times a year when the most political and intense of all derbies comes along. Of course it doesn't. Yesterday's atmosphere and the frenetic pace of the game underlined why local derbies are better played under floodlights, not at midday on a Sunday lunchtime when too many fans are still hungover from Saturday night to care much for singing or chanting.

5. Barnsley v Hull was live on TV. Wolves v Albion wasn't. How wrong could Sky have been? Okay so the first match might have had more goals but I bet their viewing figures would have been greater for what we're told is England's most fierce rivalry.