THERE was much amusement in footballing circles this summer when an advert showed Blackburn’s footballers tucking into a plate of chicken.

There were no drum-sticks on view at Ewood Park and no greasy chins.

But there was plenty of feasting, nonetheless, in the form of a pair of hungry strikers filling their bellies.

It’s embarrassing to see top sportsmen reduced to ridicule by munching fast food.

But there’s no red faces for being beaten by Wolves these days.

This ground has been a graveyard for plenty of good – and some very bad – Wolves teams over the years.

Steve Bull and Paul Birch played in a half-decent one but it was nothing compared to this.

The pair were on target the last time Wolves won here, 19 years ago on a bleak Tuesday night in April.

The Sun had just published its iconic front page headline ‘It’s The Sun Wot Won It’, as John Major won the election.

On Saturday it was Mick McCarthy’s ‘Prodigal Son’ Stephen Ward who won it.

This season is unlikely to go down to 4.50pm on Sunday May 13th – or should that be 4.47pm?

Both teams fielded seven starters from that momentous tussle at Molineux in May, but whereas Wolves were astonishingly improved from that survival bash, Rovers were a very pale imitation without the likes of Christopher Samba and Phil Jones.

Poor Steven Nzonzi and Grant Hanley were taken to the proverbial cleaners by Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher. Rabbits dazzled by headlights as the front pairing danced them a mazy jig.

Matt Jarvis and Stephen Hunt governed the flanks, and Jamie O’Hara and Karl Henry bossed the middle while at the back Roger Johnson was the commander of all he surveyed.

Then there was Ward. At one time grafting away against a tricky winger and, at another, volleying a fine goal past Paul Robinson.

This is the team that Mick built and when it’s on-song there are few weaknesses.

Much sterner tests lie in wait than this weakened Rovers.