Richard Stearman admits it's all about "biding his time" as he keeps himself fit and ready to take advantage of the next first team chance which comes along.

The versatile Wolves defender was on target with the final goal as a strong reserve team disposed of youthful West Ham opponents 4-1 in last night's final home second string fixture of the season at Telford.

After an impressive first half to the campaign playing the majority of Wolves' games at right back, Stearman hasn't started a league game since being sent off against Wigan in the middle of January.

And he hasn't appeared in any fixtures since the FA Cup exit to Crystal Palace at the start of February.

Ronald Zubar has since excelled in that full back position, leaving Stearman to do all he can in training and reserve team games to stake his claim.

"I feel like the forgotten man at the moment but it was good to get a runout to keep the fitness up," Stearman said of last night's game.

"I've felt ready for the first team since I first came out of the side.

"It's just about biding my time and waiting for my chance and grabbing a goal puts my name out there.

"You'd like to think performances in training and in the reserves will count.

"It's just a case of knuckling down and hopefully the manager will remember what I've done and if I get my chance, then great.

"The lads have done really well and picked up a few points so it's part and parcel of the game," he said.

"I felt I was having a great season up until the Wigan game, then I got sent off and I haven't featured again."

As he said at the time of his Wigan dismissal, the England-under-21 international has vowed to learn from what happened that afternoon as he picked up a second bookable offence for pulling back James McCarthy.

He added:  "Hindsight is a beautiful thing - if it happened again I wouldn't have pulled him down then I might still be in the team!

"But it's a learning curve and I'll look to take my chance if I get it."