Paul Lambert confident of bright future despite defeat as he chastises Ivan Cavaleiro's moment of madness

Goals from David Nugent, Bradley Johnson and Craig Bryson gave Derby a comfortable 3-1 victory, with Ben Marshall's goal merely a consolation.

Cavaleiro was sent off for headbutting Johnson after just 33 minutes.

And Lambert said of the Portuguese winger: "I'd love to stand here and defend it...I can't.

"If you put your head forward you've got no chance. It's a crazy moment of madness.

"He's a young lad, new in the country and he has to learn. It's not just in this country that's a red card, it's the same all over the world.

"I thought he actually started the game pretty well, Cav. But to do that gives everybody a mountain to climb. It's disappointing.

"He's not an aggressive kid at all. You've got to be disciplined when people make a tackle on you, you've got to be really clever, you can't put your head forward and get away with it. I can't defend it."

Wolves should have been 5-1 down at half time. Derby hit the bar twice and had a shot cleared off the line as Wolves produced one of their worst 45 minutes of the season.

Lambert said of the first period: "The two goals we lost in the first half were really poor. Then we started to get a foothold in the game, we had one or two really good chances.

"They've hit the bar a couple of times and then the sending off makes it more difficult.

"We got into the game with a good goal ourselves. The second half, to be fair, I couldn't ask for anymore effort from them.

"It's a tough game coming here with 11, let alone 10.

"We had one or two little breakaways...but you can't start the way we did and expect to be in the game.

"They could have been a few ahead at half time. To be fair to Mike (Williamson) and Kortney (Hause) they did alright.

"The first goal...it's travelled 50 yards at the back post and he gets in. The second goal, the man (Romain Saiss) has him, Johnson, but he runs off him and it's an easy tap in.

"They're going to have to really grasp it. When you come to these places you have to step up to the plate.

"That 20-minute spell...they're not at it. And that's what happens. But we'll be better next season that's for sure."

One of very few positives was the performance of Nouha Dicko, who looked back to his old self and created a number of chances for himself, as well as setting up Marshall's goal.

"I thought Nouha was excellent," Lambert said. "He had two or three chances, he made them himself. Dicko's a massive threat.

"I've said before he needs a pre-season. He'll get that in the summer and be a lot better for it, but you can see what a threat he can be.

"Those performances have been too little, for him and us, but I think he's going to be a really top player next season."

All eyes are now on what Lambert has already dubbed an 'absolutely huge' summer in the transfer market.

The Wolves boss reaffirmed his fervent belief that his team will improve next season.

"We'll be a lot better next year, that's for sure," Lambert added.

"I'm telling you right now we'll be better. This club needs a few to come in, there's no two ways about it.

You can never promise anything, but one thing's for sure you'll come out the traps next season.

"This club, with the size of support it's got, has to be on the front foot.

"If someone's going to beat us, you make sure you're on your backside. I think we're too inconsistent and I think we have to have a mindset of next season starts from scratch. We have to go toe to toe."

Almost 3,000 fans sang their hearts out at Pride Park and Lambert paid tribute to them.

He added: "They were unbelievable, absolutely fantastic. They'll be the same next Sunday.

"But ultimately we've got to give them something as well. Listen, I've seen it at Stoke, Liverpool, against Villa, Chelsea, it's a brilliant support.

"But you cannot keep accepting what's been happening over the past few years. There's got to be some sort of barrier where it stops and you say right, we're going to go for this.

"If everyone buys into it we'll push. I'll not accept anything less."