Wolves 2 (Goals by Ait-Nouri at 83rd minute and H Bueno at 88th minute) - Coventry 3 (Goals by Simms at 53rd and 90+7 minutes, Wright at 90+10 minutes)
Coventry City scored twice in injury time to advance to the FA Cup semifinals, ending Wolves' heartbreaking FA Cup campaign.
Playing without many important players, the Old Gold had rallied from behind to take advantage of Ellis Simms' bundling opening. With just two minutes left, Hugo Bueno was laid in by Rayan Ait-Nouri, who had just put Wolves ahead with a smashed equaliser.
But Gary O'Neil's team was unable to cling on. Seven minutes into extra time, Simms scored from close range, and in the hundredth minute, Haji Wright curled a spectacular finish to leave the Molineux pitch filled with devastation for the old gold. The trip comes to an end at the quarterfinals.
We knew that Saturday lunchtime would be exciting because this was the first FA Cup quarterfinal in five years and it was an all-midlands match. Both teams had chances in the first fifteen minutes, but neither Coventry, with a clever cross from Kasey Palmer, nor Wolves, with an early cut back from Ait-Nouri, could force an early opening goal.
Wright went for the initial effort, but it went wide of Jose Sa's post. Wolves' next attack should have opened the score shortly before half an hour had passed. Keeping the ball in on the far side and laying it off to Nathan Fraser, Nelson Semedo was involved in the play. However, both his and Ait-Nouri's shots were blocked, and Mario Lemina missed the loose ball.
Then Lemina found Sarabia with a superb ball clipped over the top, and his layoff for Semedo was spot on. However, the Portuguese shot straight at Bradley Collins, going either side of the custodian, and Wolves were set to take the lead.
But those were insignificant opportunities compared to the one Coventry missed on 35. Josh Eccles was set up to receive Kasey Palmer's deflected drive. Eccles then delivered a cross into the empty net for Simms, who only needed to touch it in. However, the ball bounced off his heel and towards Sa, who was fortunately able to save while grounded. An enormous relief for the hosts.
Nor was that the only one of the half. Wolves had the advancing Simms in a strong position during a counterattack by Coventry, but they were not aware of Milan van Ewijk's support. Van Ewijk sprinted in and got his shot off, but Sa spectacularly sailed out of his goal and redirected the ball just wide.
At the halfway point, Wolves did had a chance, but they were unable to seal the deal. Lemina produced a cross that ricocheted about the Coventry box for a considerable amount of time until Fraser poked the ball wide. The cross came off Sarabia.
Halftime: Coventry 0–Wolves
Both teams had early chances as the first half's freewheeling play carried over into the second. After exchanging passes with Lemina, Ait-Nouri missed with his right foot, and Wright scored a spectacular goal for the visitors.
But when the first goal was scored, it was by the visitors. Liam Kitching headed a deep free-kick back across goal, and Simms shoved it over the line. After a protracted VAR investigation that looked into whether the striker may have handballed, the check was eventually concluded, and the goal was declared valid.
That wasn't a wake-up call, for some reason, and Wolves were off the hook when Wright entered the game and sent a shot at Sa. Palmer then curled wide after substitute Matt Doherty was fouled on the outside of the box.
Though the goal was gaping at the end when Doherty headed Sarabia's free-kick across invitingly for Ait-Nouri, Wolves still had chances, and his header rebounded off the post and missed the mark.
But time and time again, Coventry was getting the better of him, and Sa was saving his team. He turned down the Sky Blues twice, and the Old Gold invited the strain by ceding control. He produced a fantastic save on 82 to deny Kitching at the near post, which was the biggest of the bunch.
The importance of those saves increased when Wolves scored an equaliser shortly afterward after digging deep. Joel Latibeaudiere failed to stop Joao Gomes as he found space down the right, allowing the ball to perfectly bounce off him and find its way to Ait-Nouri, who slammed the loose ball into the back of the net. Getting back to normal.
In sport, you sometimes just need a little bit of luck, and the tie was turned on its head shortly after the equaliser. In his new role as a winger, Ait-Nouri effortlessly found his way onto the attack. The pass he made to Bueno was perfectly weighted, and the Spaniard displayed the same degree of composure as he did to slot the goal home. Pandemonium about lines in the South Bank.
But Wolves' demise would come nine minutes later, mostly as a result of the VAR check for Coventry's opening goal. Seven minutes into added time, Bobby Thomas headed on a Coventry cross, and Simms was left undisturbed at the back post to nod his side back on terms.
Extra time was then scheduled, but Wolves' hopes of winning were short-lived as Wright utilised Maximilian Kilman to curl the ball around him and into the far corner, beyond Sa's diving save. As the adventure came to an end, old gold shirts were devastated and lying flat on the pitch.
Full-time | Coventry 1-2 Wolves
Wolves | Gomes, Lemina, Sarabia, Fraser (Chiwome 60), Ait-Nouri, Doyle (H Bueno 73), Sa, Semedo, Kilman, S Bueno, Toti (Doherty 60).
Subs not used: Barnett, Holman, Bentley, Traore, Lemina, and Chirewa.
Coventry | Palmer (O'Hare 70), Wright, Simms, Kitching, Bidwell, Sheaf, Eccles (Torp 90), van Ewijk, Collins, Thomas, Latibeaudiere (Tavares 90).
Wilson, Binks, Dasilva, Kelly, Godden, Andrews are the inactive substitutes.
Playing without many important players, the Old Gold had rallied from behind to take advantage of Ellis Simms' bundling opening. With just two minutes left, Hugo Bueno was laid in by Rayan Ait-Nouri, who had just put Wolves ahead with a smashed equaliser.
But Gary O'Neil's team was unable to cling on. Seven minutes into extra time, Simms scored from close range, and in the hundredth minute, Haji Wright curled a spectacular finish to leave the Molineux pitch filled with devastation for the old gold. The trip comes to an end at the quarterfinals.
We knew that Saturday lunchtime would be exciting because this was the first FA Cup quarterfinal in five years and it was an all-midlands match. Both teams had chances in the first fifteen minutes, but neither Coventry, with a clever cross from Kasey Palmer, nor Wolves, with an early cut back from Ait-Nouri, could force an early opening goal.
Wright went for the initial effort, but it went wide of Jose Sa's post. Wolves' next attack should have opened the score shortly before half an hour had passed. Keeping the ball in on the far side and laying it off to Nathan Fraser, Nelson Semedo was involved in the play. However, both his and Ait-Nouri's shots were blocked, and Mario Lemina missed the loose ball.
Then Lemina found Sarabia with a superb ball clipped over the top, and his layoff for Semedo was spot on. However, the Portuguese shot straight at Bradley Collins, going either side of the custodian, and Wolves were set to take the lead.
But those were insignificant opportunities compared to the one Coventry missed on 35. Josh Eccles was set up to receive Kasey Palmer's deflected drive. Eccles then delivered a cross into the empty net for Simms, who only needed to touch it in. However, the ball bounced off his heel and towards Sa, who was fortunately able to save while grounded. An enormous relief for the hosts.
Nor was that the only one of the half. Wolves had the advancing Simms in a strong position during a counterattack by Coventry, but they were not aware of Milan van Ewijk's support. Van Ewijk sprinted in and got his shot off, but Sa spectacularly sailed out of his goal and redirected the ball just wide.
At the halfway point, Wolves did had a chance, but they were unable to seal the deal. Lemina produced a cross that ricocheted about the Coventry box for a considerable amount of time until Fraser poked the ball wide. The cross came off Sarabia.
Halftime: Coventry 0–Wolves
Both teams had early chances as the first half's freewheeling play carried over into the second. After exchanging passes with Lemina, Ait-Nouri missed with his right foot, and Wright scored a spectacular goal for the visitors.
But when the first goal was scored, it was by the visitors. Liam Kitching headed a deep free-kick back across goal, and Simms shoved it over the line. After a protracted VAR investigation that looked into whether the striker may have handballed, the check was eventually concluded, and the goal was declared valid.
That wasn't a wake-up call, for some reason, and Wolves were off the hook when Wright entered the game and sent a shot at Sa. Palmer then curled wide after substitute Matt Doherty was fouled on the outside of the box.
Though the goal was gaping at the end when Doherty headed Sarabia's free-kick across invitingly for Ait-Nouri, Wolves still had chances, and his header rebounded off the post and missed the mark.
But time and time again, Coventry was getting the better of him, and Sa was saving his team. He turned down the Sky Blues twice, and the Old Gold invited the strain by ceding control. He produced a fantastic save on 82 to deny Kitching at the near post, which was the biggest of the bunch.
The importance of those saves increased when Wolves scored an equaliser shortly afterward after digging deep. Joel Latibeaudiere failed to stop Joao Gomes as he found space down the right, allowing the ball to perfectly bounce off him and find its way to Ait-Nouri, who slammed the loose ball into the back of the net. Getting back to normal.
In sport, you sometimes just need a little bit of luck, and the tie was turned on its head shortly after the equaliser. In his new role as a winger, Ait-Nouri effortlessly found his way onto the attack. The pass he made to Bueno was perfectly weighted, and the Spaniard displayed the same degree of composure as he did to slot the goal home. Pandemonium about lines in the South Bank.
But Wolves' demise would come nine minutes later, mostly as a result of the VAR check for Coventry's opening goal. Seven minutes into added time, Bobby Thomas headed on a Coventry cross, and Simms was left undisturbed at the back post to nod his side back on terms.
Extra time was then scheduled, but Wolves' hopes of winning were short-lived as Wright utilised Maximilian Kilman to curl the ball around him and into the far corner, beyond Sa's diving save. As the adventure came to an end, old gold shirts were devastated and lying flat on the pitch.
Full-time | Coventry 1-2 Wolves
Wolves | Gomes, Lemina, Sarabia, Fraser (Chiwome 60), Ait-Nouri, Doyle (H Bueno 73), Sa, Semedo, Kilman, S Bueno, Toti (Doherty 60).
Subs not used: Barnett, Holman, Bentley, Traore, Lemina, and Chirewa.
Coventry | Palmer (O'Hare 70), Wright, Simms, Kitching, Bidwell, Sheaf, Eccles (Torp 90), van Ewijk, Collins, Thomas, Latibeaudiere (Tavares 90).
Wilson, Binks, Dasilva, Kelly, Godden, Andrews are the inactive substitutes.