McCarthy sticks with strike force

- and the strikers have come under fire from some critics for failing to grab their chances.

But the Wolves boss, pictured, insists his frontmen are "terrific players" and he won't be forced into a knee-jerk reaction after Sunday's Black Country derby defeat.

"If we keep doing what we're doing and creating the chances I believe we will get goals," he said. "These are the lads we have and these are the lads we keep faith with - I think they are terrific."

"I don't lose faith in people very quickly - I back my players. That doesn't mean things can't be changed around, though. I'm always at pains to say that, at some stage, you have to try to mix it up and try to get goals from somewhere."

Wolves matched Albion in terms of number of chances created on Sunday, and McCarthy accepts his players need to be more clinical.

"We need to start taking chances. I'm trying my best to get that with the mix up front and hopefully we can. Jay Bothroyd has come in and scored four goals, so he's contributed. Jemal Johnson came in from Blackburn's reserves and was terrific and he's still playing well. Leon Clarke is just stepping up to the mark; we have Craig Davies on loan and Carl Cort too, who has been injured."

Meanwhile, Cort will make his comeback from a hamstring injury in a reserve game tomorrow - and McCarthy insists the striker still has a huge part to play in his Wolves squad.

Wolves take on French fourth division side Dunkirk in a Compton Park friendly tomorrow morning in a game that will mark the return of former Molineux favourite Ludo Pollett, who manages the opposition.

Jackie McNamara will make his second comeback from a hip injury but has been ruled out of the Sheffield Wednesday clash at Molineux.