IF THIS game was a glimpse into the future of life under Paul Sturrock, then it's going to be a good time to be a Saints fan once again.

If you were a Saints supporter then this match had everything you could possibly have wanted.

There was goals, drama, wickedly good entertainment and it ended with Saints taking away the three points.

In the past couple of years Saints have been successful but were rarely entertaining.

That's not a criticism because it was a fantastic effort from Gordon Strachan to achieve what he did at the club.

But even Sturrock recognised the need for more goals - and you don't need to be a genius to realise that will mean a more attacking emphasis from the midfield and thus more entertainment for spectators.

The play is more direct now, but it's working.

From the day he took over as manager, Sturrock has promised more goals from all over the pitch and he has delivered.

Last week it was Rory Delap scoring his first for two years - this week it was Claus Lundekvam getting his first goal for the club in almost 300 games.

Sturrock says that getting goals from other areas of the pitch is a mental barrier to overcome rather than a physical one.

And whatever he has said or done, he's well and truly smashed through that barrier already.

All of a sudden people seem to not just hope they can score, but actually believe they can.

One goal-scoring legacy Strachan left and most managers would be pleased to inherit is James Beattie and Kevin Phillips.

After a lean spell Beattie was looking like more of his old self again.

He was getting about the pitch, running into the channels, winning more balls in the air and got himself a goal. He's a confidence player who has looked short of that vital ingredient in recent weeks - hopefully he'll get it back again now.

Phillips meanwhile just gives a striking masterclass every week.

Every time the ball goes up to him it sticks and he brings others into play.

Then of course there's his finishing ability.

OK, the Wolves defence was dreadful but the finishes he produced for his two goals were stunning. All those who agreed that he was a bargain at £3.25m are being proved totally right.

Bar a ten-minute spell in the second half, Saints always looked like they'd beat a poor Wolves side who are doomed to relegation.

They'll fight and battle, and you have to admire them for that, but they aren't good enough to survive at this level.

From the sixth minute Saints looked a danger and Paul Jones twice had to stop Phillips from giving Saints an early lead.

But Beattie did find the net on 25 minutes. A high ball down the right was misjudged by Jody Craddock, who had Delap chasing in on him.

It was allowed to run to the edge of the area where Beattie came steaming in and powered the ball emphatically into the bottom corner.

Just a minute later Phillips got through on goal and should have doubled the lead but fired well wide.

Wolves's only chances of the first half saw Henri Camara flash wide a half-volley from 25 yards, while Kenny Miller might have equalised on 40 minutes but missed the target with a free header from a free kick.

After a long stoppage and the disappointment of seeing Jason Dodd stretchered off, Lundekvam sensationally opened his account for the club.

It was route one stuff. Fabrice Fernandes put in a left-wing free kick and the big Norwegian stuck out a leg and turned it home.

The crowd went wild, his teammates went wild, he went wild. It was a wonderful moment and in truth one I thought I'd never see.

The joy was put on hold with 18 minutes remaining when Camara lifted the ball over Niemi on the edge of the area to pull one back.

There followed a sustained spell of pressure from the home side when, for the only time in the match, they looked like they might get back into it.

Camara was the main threat with half-time substitute Carl Cort causing problems with his massive aerial presence.

But Saints did what they had to do and weathered the storm and finished the game off with two beauties from Phillips.

The first on 89 minutes saw Beattie find his strike partner who turned Lee Naylor inside out before shifting his weight brilliantly to strike left-footed across Jones into the far corner.

In injury time it was that left foot again but this time a near-post finish after Beattie had chased back half the length of the pitch to win possession for Saints.

The play under Sturrock may be more direct but early indications suggest that means more goals, more entertainment and hopefully more points.