Wolves hail Doyle return

Mick McCarthy anticipates Wolves’ survival battle will again go to the final day of the season but hopes an in-form Kevin Doyle can help them avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Doyle has lost his place in the starting line-up with Stephen Fletcher now established as number one striker.

But the Ireland international came off the bench to end a 13-game sequence without a goal at Loftus Road.

McCarthy said: “I was pleased with Kevin’s performance. He looked back at it, looked powerful and skilful and he is a classy player.

“He has lost form a bit but he came back with a bang.

“His goal was lovely for him because playing well is one thing as a centre-forward but scoring goals is what his job is and so that gave him the most pleasure.

“Strikers would settle for playing mediocre and getting a couple of goals because that is what they are paid for.”

McCarthy added: “Doyler has been, as always, exemplary in his behaviour, training and attitude. He has had it tough with not playing.

“Kevin was always going to come back to form. If we’ve got an in-form Kevin Doyle back now, that will be great for the rest of the season.”

Wolves only escaped the drop with three minutes to go of last season, as Stephen Hunt’s goal against Blackburn edged them ahead of Birmingham. McCarthy expects another nerve-jangling finale as he prepares for tomorrow’s derby with West Brom at Molineux.

McCarthy said: “People say these games or those games will decide the outcome of the season. I seem to remember being sat here last season, saying it might be the last kick of the season that it would go down to, maybe the last goal, the last point. That’s how it turned out and maybe that will be the same again.”

Wolves will check on the fitness of central midfielders Jamie O’Hara (groin) and Dave Edwards (thigh). McCarthy is without on-loan Emmanuel Frimpong (ruptured knee ligaments, and has returned to Arsenal) and the suspended Karl Henry.