Wolves 0 Stoke 1

Well, at least the majority of Wolves fans got their wish from a Staffordshire derby it seemed few wanted.

A closely-contested defeat for which little over 9,000 home supporters bothered to leave their firesides proved interest in the FA Cup is a poor second to the Premier League in a region hit hard by the recession.

And a sparsely-filled, freezing Molineux provided a gloomy backdrop to another pretty tepid performance.

For the third game in a row Wolves were sentenced to defeat after falling short in quality.

Nenad Milijas might have had a penalty saved at the death and Steven Fletcher headed against the post, but there wasn't too much to shout about.

You can never complain about a lack of effort from Mick McCarthy's side, but boy, could they do with a lift at the moment.

The spark and fluency that carried them on a wave through the performances against Liverpool away, Chelsea at home and in both games against Manchester City, have gone AWOL, hopefully to return at the Reebok Stadium on Wednesday.

Maybe new loan signing Jamie O'Hara, who watched from the directors' box, is the man to provide the missing spark. Certainly Wolves need something — and quickly — if they are to turn around their fortunes.

Regardless of the fans' apathy, McCarthy was determined to gain all he could from the tie by selecting a full-strength side but for Wayne Hennessey and Kevin Doyle, who was ill.

Sadly for Wolves, it didn't go according to the manager's script.

And that was ultimately down to the season-long problem of defensive errors — exposed this time by Robert Huth arriving unmarked to fire in a header from six yards out after Matt Etherington's free- kick nine minutes from time.

Another lacklustre start from the home side meant there was little to cheer the Wolves fans early on as on-loan Villa striker John Carew twice went close to a breakthrough on his full debut.

First the giant Norwegian brought a ful-length diving save from Marcus Hahnemann when his point-blank effort was turned around the post.

Later, Carew brushed off Christophe Berra but produced a poor shot blocked by Hahnemann.

In between, Wolves weren't helped by the departure of Stephen Hunt after just 10 minutes, the Ireland winger limping off with a calf strain to be replaced by Dave Edwards, who had a busy game.

Restored up front for Doyle, the hardworking Stephen Ward perhaps should have done better with an angled shot that keeper Thomas Sorensen got down to smother. Fletcher's header against the base of the post came after Wolves had gradually worked their way into the game.

By then, attempting to lose the predictability critics have been quick to seize on, McCarthy switched to a 4-3-3 formation which saw Karl Henry and Milijas anchoring the midfield, Ward pushed out to the right and Edwards allowed the chance to break forward to support Fletcher as the lone frontman.

But it made little difference and they closed the half under pressure as Rory Delap finished poorly and Carew headed narrowly wide from a corner.

McCarthy rightly claimed Wolves could have had a penalty five minutes after the restart for an elbow in the face from Huth on Berra, but referee Mike Jones took no action. Just as Wolves enjoyed a better spell which included a Karl Henry volley that went narrowly wide, Ward missed the opportunity to cap it with a goal — a poor downward header from a cross by Matt Jarvis.

Jarvis remains the man Wolves look to for inspiration. And although he has recently lacked that vital edge to his game that made him unplayable at times before Christmas, he flickered occasionally in the second half.

Stoke hit back and, after substitute Glenn Whelan's fierce drive was beaten away by Hahnemann, the veteran keeper tipped Etherington's angled effort wide.

Then came the killer blow delivered by Huth from Etherington's byline free-kick after a needless foul from George Elokobi on Jonathan Walters.

Just to suggest Wolves hadn't learned their lesson, Huth almost did the same again but this time his header went wide from Etherington's corner.

Substitute Sam Vokes should have done better with a header saved by Sorensen.

But Milijas admitted his penalty to Sorensen's left, which the former Villa keeper saved comfortably, wasn't struck well enough. It summed up Wolves' patchy performance and they must put this setback behind them quickly if they are to make strides in their battle for survival.

With Hunt out injured for Wednesday's trip to Bolton, this could be new signing Adam Hammill's time, as well as O'Hara's, as they enter a testing period of three games in six days.

By Tim Nash