TONY PULIS has paid tribute to his players after watching them move one step closer to surpassing last season's final tally of 45 points.

The goalless draw at Molineux on Sunday moved the Potters on to 43 points, meaning victory against Bolton at the Britannia Stadium next weekend will ensure progression this time around.

Following the game the City boss described the result as 'a good point' and highlighted the importance of picking up maximum points against Owen Coyle's side next weekend.

"We have a huge game against Bolton now next weekend because we know a win will ensure progression again this season," he told stokecityfc.com.

"At the start of the season our objective was to stay up, and then after doing that it was to finish on more points than we did last season. This result here at Wolves has left us in a great position to go on and do that.

"If we can do that then it will represent another superb season for us, especially having reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup by beating some of the big boys along the way."

Whilst neither side managed to find a breakthrough in the local derby the Potters did look the side more likely to go on to secure all three points, and Pulis says a win could have been theirs with a little more quality inside the final third.

"We had some very good chances today especially in the first half," he adds. "Abdoulaye had three or four good opportunities and you would expect him to hit the target with them.

"Mama, who had a superb game for us, should have done better in the second half and Glenn really should have found the target with his efforts, but they had a couple of chances too so a point is a good result for us.

"Wolves have had a good season and this isn't an easy place to come at all. We knew what sort of game it would be because they like to flood the midfield, but we still had chances to win the game."