Hughes rewards Albion and punishes Peacock

Wolves, looking less likely than ever this season to mount a serious promotion challenge, slipped further out of contention as the West Bromwich revival continued last night, a first-half penalty being enough to extend their recent record in this fixture to seven meetings without defeat. Wolves, who have not beaten Albion since 1997, were much less likely to here, once Ryan Green was sent off before half-time.

Wolves, looking less likely than ever this season to mount a serious promotion challenge, slipped further out of contention as the West Bromwich revival continued last night, a first-half penalty being enough to extend their recent record in this fixture to seven meetings without defeat. Wolves, who have not beaten Albion since 1997, were much less likely to here, once Ryan Green was sent off before half-time.

The Welsh international was dismissed five minutes before the interval after collecting two yellow cards in the space of three minutes, each time for fouling Albion's ever-dangerous Jason Roberts, whose blossoming partnership with Lee Hughes has been a major factor in Albion's transformation under Gary Megson. Almost relegated last season, they are now in the thick of the things at the other end of the First Division table.

By the time Green departed, they were already leading by Hughes' sixth goal of the season, dispatched from the spot after he had been brought down by Darren Peacock, the former Newcastle centre-half on loan from Blackburn Rovers. Picking up the flight of Ruel Fox's lofted pass, Hughes bustled past Peacock, whose clumsy attempt to retrieve the situation sent the striker tumbling. The referee Clive Wilkes pointed instantly to the spot and Hughes gleefully scored his first goal in a Black Country derby.

The score added a few more volts to an already charged atmosphere, which was too much for some. Fox tested Oakes with a dipping free-kick after Green's first foul on Roberts. But if that was a warning it went unheeded as Green sent Fox crashing three minutes later.

To be one short was the last thing Wolves needed, and, though the strong wind that had aided the home side in the first half helped them push forward in the second, the goal under threat still tended to be theirs. Fox wasted one chance, blazing over the bar after Oakes had beaten out a Roberts attempt, but Hughes did better with another, a dipping volley that had Oakes at full stretch to tip over.

West Bromwich Albion (3-5-2): Jensen; Butler, Carbon, Clement; Chambers, Fox (Sneekes, 90), McInnes, Jordao, Van Blerk; Hughes, Roberts (Bob Taylor, 74). Substitutes not used: Adamson (gk), Burgess, Oliver.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-4-2): Oakes; Green, Pollet, Peacock, Naylor; Bazeley, Dinning, Osborn, Emblen (Robinson, 86); Proudlock (Robert Taylor, 41), Branch. Substitutes not used: Stowell (gk), Sinton, Lescott.

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucester).