Two goals inside the final 13 minutes gave Wolves under-18s the perfect platform to build from with victory at Nottingham Forest.
In the first outing of 2023, Testimony Igbinoghene and substitute Mason Rees scored in quick succession to ensure the old gold took the U18 Premier League points.
The first 45 minutes proved to be a tight encounter, with both sides having chances to open the scoring. Mo Diomande had to be alert to make a last-ditch block to deny Danny Anisjko after the winger had jinked his way inside into a shooting position.
It was then the turn of Conor McLeod to try his luck from distance, as he conjured up two opportunities within minutes of each other. His first effort from outside the area deflected just wide of the mark, before the second was an even better strike that forced Aaron Bott into a sharp save down to his right.
Leon Chiwome managed 45 minutes on his return back from injury and the striker had half a sniff at goal, but was unable to gain enough power on his header following a Hayden Carson cross.
Forest had the ball in the back of the net shortly after through Connor Brown, but their joy was short-lived with the flag swiftly up on the far side.
Chiwome then chased a ball over the top and got there ahead of the on-rushing Bott, who brought the Wolves number nine down in the process, and the visitors were given a free-kick in a dangerous position. There were calls for a red card for Bott, but the referee was content in just giving a yellow. Josh Esen stepped up from the edge of the area and whistled an attempt just over the top of the crossbar.
Half-time | Nottingham Forest 0-0 Wolves
The second half proved a slightly more trickier assignment as Wolves had to dig in and overcome a wave of Forest pressure.
James Storer had to be at his very best to intercept a low cross with an outstretched glove, just as it looked like Theo Flanagan was set to score a simple tap-in at the back post.
Brayden Clarke then made a superb block to thwart Theo Robinson’s shot, before James McPike’s side breathed a sigh of relief when Jack Nadin’s curling effort from the edge bounced back off the underside of the bar and away from danger.
Storer acrobatically tipped a free-kick over the top, with Wolves standing firm and rising to the challenge. And for that, they were rewarded 13 minutes from time with the opening goal of the game.
Esen made tracks down the right-hand side and spotted the run of Igbinoghene in the centre who had made up ground and was picked out in the area. The youngster struck a sublime first-time effort as sweet as it could’ve been, with the ball nestling into the top corner of the net.
That sent the Wolves team crazy and they experienced that same feeling just a minute later, when the lead was doubled. The ball dropped invitingly to Rees some 20 yards out and he hit an effort that fizzed low and squeezed into the bottom corner past Bott to secure the points at the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Full-time | Nottingham Forest 0-2 Wolves
COMING UP
The under-18s travel to Sutton Coldfield on Tuesday evening in the third round of the Birmingham Senior Cup.
NEXT FIVE
- 10/01 Sutton Coldfield (A) BSC
- 14/01 Derby County (H)
- 21/01 Everton (A)
- 28/01 Manchester United (H)
- 11/02 Stoke City (A)
TEAMS
Nottingham Forest | Bott, Sinclair, Robinson, Hanks, Hammond, Hemmings (Gbopo 83), Whitehall, Flanagan, Brown, Nadin (Morgan 69), Anisjko.
Subs not used | Willows, Lister, Clarke.
Wolves | Storer, Diomande, Clarke (Scicluna 74), Ojinnaka, Carson, Igbinoghene, Francis-Burrell, Harper (Reynolds 83), Chiwome (Rees 46), McLeod (Edozie 61), Esen.
Subs not used | Amos.
