Boys in Green player watch: Gameweek 28 Kevin Doyle

Last May heralded the end of Wolves’ short-lived stay in the top flight as they, along with Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, got sucked down the Premier League plughole.

Kevin Doyle endured a poor season for Wolves and was helpless to prevent his side from slipping into the Championship, with many expecting the Wexford man to seek an escape route back to the upper tier.

However, no such summer transfer materialised, with little or no interest in the Republic of Ireland striker. Doyle had little option but to stick around and help spearhead his side’s push for promotion.

Early on things seemed rosy for the Black Country side, but the season has taken a dreadful twist of fate for Doyle and co. They languish in the relegation spots, third from bottom and on the brink of successive relegations for the first time since the 80s.

Doyle has cut a subdued and lonely figure up front, ploughing a lone furrow as they say and without the flashes of class he’s been known to produce.

On Friday night Wolves welcomed league high-flyers Watford to Molineaux, with manager Dean Saunders aiming for a first win in 12 games. Truth be told, apart from a goal-line clearance for which he must be credited for, Doyle did little of note and was hauled off on the hour mark for Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

He managed to hold the ball up well and pulled off two shots on goal, but yet again Doyle had fired blanks for Wolves when they needed him most. His form is certainly a worry for Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni when vital World Cup qualifiers are now only a matter of weeks away.

With Watford having taken a first-half lead, Wolves were for long periods under the cosh. It wasn’t until the second minute of injury time that they equalised, when former Saint Etienne midfielder Bakary Sako’s low strike ensured a share of the spoils.