Nouha Dicko's hot streak continued as table toppers Wolves equalled a club record to thump their Black Country rivals.
Striker Dicko scored a brace to take his tally to seven goals in as many starts as Wanderers chalked up an eighth win on the trot - their best run since 1988.
And Wolves manager Kenny Jackett is delighted he captured the French 21 year old from Wigan in January. He said:
"I liked him when he was a nineteen year old playing for Blackpool and I've followed his career. He's a constant threat and a good finisher and gets lots of goals in and around the six years box.
"It was a very good win in a potentially tricky game. Scoring the first goal in a derby is important and we'd targeted doing that."
Dicko knocked in his first from two yards on the half hour after impressive winger James Henry shrugged off left back Andy Taylor to whip in a low cross.
Three minutes after the break Dicko was even closer to goal for his second.
Henry provided a dangerous cross from the right again, but this time the ball hit the inside of the post and bounced back across the face of goal for Dicko to chest home.
And after Henry was fouled in the 67th minute, beefy left winger Bakary Sako made sure of the derby rout with a 22 yard free kick directly in front of goal.
Walsall have not won in seven games as their play-off hopes falter and boss Dean Smith said:
"I thought it was a very harsh score line. The second goal was a real kick in the teeth. We had them rattled towards the end of the first half, but then a fortunate goal knocked the stuffing out of us."
Henry called on Wolves table toppers to stick together as they face a gruelling promotion schedule.
Hard working winger Henry, 24, followed Jackett from Millwall and said:
"We've got a great team spirit - not just the eleven on the pitch, but all 25 in the squad. It's going to be 25 players working together as a team, not as individuals, that get us promoted. That's going to be key this month with something like nine games in 28 days. We've got to be pushing for the same thing.
"It's a big, big club and we have to get it back where it needs to be. It's important to get promoted this season, but not stop there."
Meanwhile Taylor told his Walsall team mates to keep the faith and make a charge for the play-offs. He said:
"The good thing about foot ball is that you can get beat 3-0, but the games come thick and fast so the next opportunity comes around really, really quickly. So the main thing is for us to remain positive and put that one to bed.
"There's a big game against Crewe on Tuesday and then there are big games after that with points up for grabs. We get those points and we're in the play-offs."
Jackett was delighted to equal the club record of eight wins on the bounce, but said:
“If you want an automatic promotion spot you need to go on that sort of run."
Walsall manager Dean Smith remained positive and said:
"It just showed the quality that Kenny's got. The pleasing thing for me is we didn't throw the towel in, we kept going."
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