Classic encounter: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Stoke City

With Wolves facing Stoke in the Carabao Cup second round on Thursday, it's apt to look back at one of few successes the men in gold have had over their Staffordshire neighbours in recent years.

Two goals in two first half minutes from David Jones and debutant Steven Fletcher sealed a valuable opening day win over the Potters, despite Abdoulaye Faye's header 10 minutes after the interval.

The victory remains one of only two home wins Wolves have achieved against Stoke in the 21st century.

Safety first sides splash out in summer

Wolves and Stoke had the two lowest goal totals in the previous Premier League table, with both sides only managing to score a combined 66 goals in their 76 games.

This, coupled with two managers in Mick McCarthy and Tony Pulis who could hardly be described as 'progressive', meant most punters were not expecting a classic.

However, both sides had strengthened well in the summer window. New record signing Steven Fletcher made his first start for Wolves, alongside new £2.5m right back/right midfielder Jelle van Damme.

Stoke also started a big money striker in £8m Kenwyne Jones, but the Trinidadian left the pitch in tears on 10 minutes after injuring himself in a Jody Craddock tackle.

A tale of two Jones'

Stoke came into the game as favourites having finished nine points ahead of Wolves in the previous season.

However, the game changed with Kenwyne Jones' injury. The 25-year-old had hit the crossbar inside three minutes of his second Stoke debut, but after he had to be replaced by Mamady Sidibe the Potters struggled to find any rhythm. Sidibe was replaced by Tuncay early in the second half, with Pulis seemingly unimpressed.

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After the injury, Wolves began to put considerable pressure on the Stoke goal. Ebanks-Blake and Fletcher were denied by goalkeeper Sorensen and a resolute Potters backline, but after Kevin Foley was fouled by Dean Whitehead, David Jones scored a free kick that has lived long in the memory of the Molineux terraces. Receiving the ball from Karl Henry's lay off, Jones calmly flicked the ball up and volleyed it off the bar and into the net from the edge of the box.

Wolves doubled their lead just two minutes later. Christophe Berra, who did not score a single goal in his 154 Wolves appearances, somehow found himself in the box and chipped a deflected ball onto the head of Steven Fletcher, who scored his first of 24 goals in gold and black. Faye's header led to more second half pressure from Pulis' side, but it was to no avail as Wolves held on for three crucial points.

Contrasting campaigns

Despite the great start for McCarthy's men, the campaign is remembered differently by both sets of supporters.

Wolves struggled for the majority of the season. Despite gaining two more points than in 2009-10, the Molineux side only survived in the final few minutes of the second. An 87th minute Stephen Hunt consolation against Blackburn coupled with a 90th minute Roman Pavlyuchenko strike against Birmingham at White Hart Lane gave Wolves one more point and a superior goal difference to their West Midlands rivals, who were relegated.

Stoke, on the other hand, reached their first FA Cup final in 2011. Despite losing 1-0 to Manchester City at Wembley, they booked their place in the 2011-12 Europa League by reaching English football's showpiece event.

While fans from the Potteries enjoyed trips to Valencia, Kiev and Istanbul in the following season, Wolves were relegated from the Premier League, and weren't to return for six years.