McCarthy confident of Town clash

WOLVES may have lost the Black Country derby on Tuesday night, but manager Mick McCarthy remains confident that his team will make the top six.

Visiting Ipswich Town stand in their way this Saturday. A win would see Wanderers leapfrog Town in the table, but a defeat would see Jim Magilton's men open up a daunting five-point gap.

“The play-offs are still in our sights, and it's still in our hands,” insisted McCarthy, a day after his side's 1-0 home defeat to West Brom.

“I was immensely proud of our performance against West Brom. They took their chance and that proved to be the difference, but it was a terrific football match with both sides going for it. The game could have ended 4-4 instead of 1-0.

“It can't hurt me as much as the fans, but if we win the next four (matches) and get into the play-offs, then no one will care.

“I can't do anything about the West Brom defeat. It's done, gone and finished, and we have to move on.

But if we play like that, we've got more chance of winning. The games that are coming up are the important ones, not the West Brom game.

“We're not going to catch the top two teams (West Brom and Hull) anyway, so we have to get in the play-offs.

“We will go into the game against Ipswich buoyant, because of the way we have played recently. A top six finish if definitely on the cards,” added McCarthy.

Wolves received a boost yesterday with the news that long-term injury victim Michael Kightly could be named amongst the substitutes against Town.

Star winger Kightly completely his second comeback game for the Reserves against Crewe this week. He featured for 70 minutes, and suffered no reaction to the damaged ankle that required surgery at the end of February.

Kightly revealed: “I don't feel ready to start a game yet, because I'd blow up after a half, which is no good to gaffer. But I'd like to be involved at some point.”