GOALS from deadly duo Diomansy Kamara and Kevin Phillips and super-sub Zoltan Gera earned awesome Albion the Black Country bragging rights and sent Tony Mowbray's men soaring into the FA Cup fifth round.
Top gun Kamara opened the scoring with his 15th of the season - and second against Wanderers this term - a minute before half-time to send the 5,300 Baggies fans occupying the Jack Harris Stand into raptures.
Former Watford, Sunderland, Southampton and Villa hitman Phillips needed less than four minutes of the second period to double the visitors' advantage with his 12th of the campaign, continuing his impressive record of scoring for all his clubs in their respective derbies.
And Gera put the icing on the cake 12 minutes from time when he headed home Albion's third with only his second touch of the game.
The margin of victory was no less than the Baggies deserved, with every single member of Mowbray's side producing assured performances.
The scoreline was a repeat of October's league meeting between the derby rivals at The Hawthorns, when Albion served up their biggest win over Wolves for 25 years.
Pascal Zuberbuhler, returning between the sticks for his first start in 16 games, also helped Albion's defence record their first away clean sheet for three months.
Jason Koumas, back from suspension, was restored to the Baggies boss' starting XI at right midfield as Gera dropped to the bench and John Hartson missed out altogether through illness.
In Russell Hoult's absence, 19-year-old keeper Luke Daniels was elevated to the bench.
With the Albion hordes pumping up the volume, the match kicked-off in a white-hot atmosphere, which ensured the match started at a frenetic pace.
The Baggies had the first chance to create an opening when Koumas found himself in space on the right wing.
But the Welsh wizard's cross lacked the accuracy to find Phillips at the back post and Wolves keeper Matt Murray gathered the ball.
The opening shot of the game came from that man Koumas in the eighth minute as he curled a 25-yard free-kick just over the crossbar.
Wolves midfielders Darren Potter and Karl Henry dithered on the ball in the middle of the park five minutes later and allowed Jonathan Greening to steal possession.
Quick thinking from the former Manchester United midfielder saw him put Kamara in on goal but Wanderers centre-half Neil Collins recovered to block the Senegal international's 12-yard strike.
Moments later, Wolves winger Michael McIndoe's ball over the top evaded Curtis Davies and Craig Davies looked to be in on goal until a superb last-ditch challenge by Neil Clement cleared the danger.
But the Baggies were soon back on the attack and looked certain to snatch a 19th-minute lead when a mishit clearance by Zuberbuhler rolled kindly for the visitors.
Phillips picked up the ball before turning and threading Kamara clean through, only for the former Modena ace to poke a 12-yard shot wide of Murray and the right-hand post under pressure from the recovering Collins.
Albion saw another glorious chance go begging seconds later when Koumas, who by now had swapped wings with Robert Koren, brought down Greening's long ball superbly and out-muscled Mark Little before whistling a shot inches wide of the right-hand post from a difficult angle.
At the opposite end, full-back Little's ball into the box was picked up by Seyi Olofinjana in the 24th minute and the bustling midfielder turned and shot and saw his effort deflect off Curtis Davies and creep just past the right-hand post.
After Kamara had strong penalty appeals turned away when he appeared to be clipped by Collins in the box, the increasingly influential Koumas again out-witted Little and fired the ball into the six-yard box where Murray bravely gathered low down to deny Phillips a tap-in.
Within seconds, strike partner Kamara cut inside from the right and saw his shot blocked by Breen.
Albion continued to ask all the questions and Phillips' 38th-minute cross from the left-hand by-line was only parried by Murray low down.
Fortunately for Wolves, Breen was on hand to clear.
But Albion finally found a deserved breakthrough a minute before the break - from a Wolves free-kick on the edge of their own box!
After the ever-alert Koren's last-ditch interception had denied Henry a shooting opportunity 15 yards out, the ball flew to Potter whose shot was charged down by Kamara.
Phillips headed the loose ball over Little on the halfway line to send Kamara clear of the Wolves defence.
Kamara left Little trailing in his wake before coolly rounding Murray and rolling the ball into an empty net.
The Baggies' breakthrough was the perfect half-time fillip and sparked scenes of unbridled joy in the South Bank.
Mick McCarthy made a double change at the interval, with Stephen Ward and Mark Davies replacing Craig Davies and Rohan Ricketts respectively.
But within four minutes of the restart, Wanderers had a mountain to climb.
Kamara cut inside from the right and picked out Philips on the left-hand edge of the penalty area who advanced into the box before seeing his shot deflect off Collins and past the wrong-footed Murray for his fourth goal in as many games.
Albion looked comfortable but had a rare scare when Zuberbuhler had a rush of blood to the head in the 56th minute.
The Swiss international came racing out of his penalty area and missed the ball to gift possession to Olofinjana.
'Zubi' tried to regain the ball but proceeded to foul the big Nigerian and was booked by referee Uriah Rennie.
McCarthy made another change a minute later when Jemal Johnson came on for Ololfinjana.
But it was the Baggies who remained the more potent force, with Murray needing to dive full stretch to tip away Kamara's powerfully-struck angled drive from the left edge of the penalty area.
Wolves threatened briefly when McIndoe had a free sight of goal in the 67th minute but completely missed his header from Mark Davies' left-wing free-kick.
Back came Albion and Koumas ghosted inside in the 72nd minute before letting fly with a stinging 25-yard strike which Murray held at the second attempt.
Johnson and McIndoe then tested Zuberbuhler with long-range efforts in quick succession, but the Baggies No.1 comfortably grasped the ball on both occasions.
The result was hardly in doubt but sub Gera gave the travelling hordes another chance to 'boing boing' 12 minutes from time.
The Hungary star powered into the box to head home Koumas' left-wing corner.
Incredibly, Albion had further chances to add to their three goals in the dying minutes.
Murray did well to keep out Phillips' stinging 18-yard drive before Kamara, who had been teed up by Phillips' head-down from Gera's diagonal ball into the box, volleyed over from close range.
The final whistle sparked unbridled scenes of joy as Baggies players and fans alike celebrated a fourth successive victory.
WOLVES (4-5-1): Murray; Little, Collins, Breen, McNamara; Ricketts (M Davies HT), Potter, Olofinjana (Johnson 57), Henry, McIndoe; Craig Davies (Ward HT). Subs not used: Budtz (gk), Edwards.
ALBION (4-4-2): Zuberbuhler; McShane, Curtis Davies, Clement, Robinson; Koumas, Chaplow, Greening, Koren (Gera 74); Phillips, Kamara (Carter 84). Subs not used: Daniels (gk), Nicholson, Hodgkiss.
GOALS: ALBION - Kamara (44), Phillips (49), Gera (78).
BOOKINGS: WOLVES - Little (foul 77). ALBION - Kamara (dissent 33), Zuberbuhler (foul 56), Clement (foul 66).
REFREE: U Rennie (South Yorkshire).
ATTENDANCE: 28,107.
ALBION STARMAN: Diomansy Kamara.
(PICS BY LAURIE RAMPLING)
