A pair of stunning goals from defenders Christian Marques and Justin Hubner were not enough to seal Wolves’ place in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup.
Norwich City took a two-goal lead at St George’s Park, before Marques halved the deficit with a sumptuous free-kick. But after falling 4-1 behind, Hubner scored in second-half added time with an outrageous flick from 12 yards out.
Wolves started brightly and could have opened the scoring when Owen Hesketh cut in from the left, but his curling effort drifted just wide of the far post.
But it was the visitors who took the lead when Tony Springett was played in behind by Tom Dickson-Peters and firing the ball past Joe Young.
Wolves pushed for an immediate equaliser, but Hubner was unable to find the net with a header after leaping high inside the box, before Hesketh tried another shot from the left, but his second effort was deflected wide.
Despite Wolves’ pressure, Norwich extended their lead when Abu Kamara tapped home from close range after clever attacking play by the visitors.
But Wolves found a way back into the game just after the half-hour mark, when captain Marques curled an inch-perfect free-kick into the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
It took a smart double save by Young to deny Norwich extending their lead once again before the Canaries finally did add a third just before half-time when Kamara found space inside the area before firing a shot on the turn into the bottom corner of the net.
Wolves tried to get back into the game following the break, but instead it was Norwich who added a fourth, and Kamara netted his hat-trick when he beat Marques to a cross into the box and headed beyond Young.
The hosts rang the changes in the second-half, with Kam Kandola, Harry Birtwistle and Ethan McLeod coming on to try and help their side get back into the game.
Wolves pushed hard for much of the half but were unable to trouble Norwich keeper Sam Blair, until Hubner scored an unbelievable consolation for the hosts as he cleverly flicked a cross with the bottom of his boot into the far corner.
But the Canaries were able to see out the remaining few minutes of the contest to secure their place in the fourth round.
COMING UP
Wolves under-18s will head home for their Christmas break before returning with five consecutive home matches, with Newcastle United first up at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground on Saturday 9th January.
NEXT FIVE
09/01 Newcastle United (H)
20/01 Aston Villa (H) U17PLC
23/01 Burnley (H)
30/01 Blackburn Rovers (H)
13/02 Stoke City (H)
TEAMS
Wolves: Young, Matheson, Lonwijk, Marques, Hubner, Bueno, Hodnett, Scicluna, Harkin, Roberts, Hesketh.
Subs: Arinbjornsson, Kandola, Scott, Birtwistle, Ojinnaka, McLeod, Bugarin.
Norwich: Blair, Jackson, Stewart, Hills, Shipley, Brooke, Khumbeni, Springett, Rowe, Kamara, Dickson-Peters
Subs: Thorn, Trueman, Duffy, Okeowo, Alidor-Hamilton, Matos, Aboh.
