Solihull Moors 1 (Asante 13)
Wolves 1 (Hunte 55)
(Solihull win penalty shoot-out 5-4)
Wolves missed out on a semi-final spot in the Birmingham Senior Cup after losing a penalty shoot-out with Solihull Moors at the Damson Parkway following a game that finished at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
The visitors started brightly winning two Connor Hunte corners in the opening two minutes that had the Moors defence stretched.
From the first Ryan Rainey’s side foot was deflected behind and then Hunte’s second kick was headed towards goal by Kortney Hause and cleared from inside a congested six-yard box.
Then there was a chance for Donovan Wilson who took the ball into the area before firing over with an angled effort.
The 13th minute proved to be unlucky for Wolves. Gavin Cowan broke free on the left and Akwasi Asante had the easiest of tasks in converting the low cross that followed.
A free-kick from wide on the right almost resulted in a second goal for the Moors as Steven Leslie’s kick was headed narrowly wide of the far post by Nathaniel Kelly.
Jon Flatt dived to save a deflected shot from Asante before a fine piece of work by Bright Enobakhare carved out an opening for Wolves.
The striker turned his marker on the halfway line and sprinted towards the home goal before threading a pass to Hunte who was tackled by Kelly as he shot. The challenge took the sting out of the ball allowing Danny Lewis a comfortable save.
In the 32nd minute a Hunte corner was half cleared to Hause on the edge of the box. The defender’s first shot was blocked and when the ball bounced back to him he hit a terrific effort that, unfortunately, was too close to Lewis who saved.
Enobakhare was yellow carded for reacting angrily to a challenge from Darren Byfield.
In the dying minutes of the half three Hunte corners failed to bring about any reward for a Wolves side that had fought back well after conceding the goal.
Half-Time: Moors 1 Wolves 0
Three minutes after the break Flatt threw the ball out to Hunte who sprinted half the length of the pitch before squaring a pass to Wilson whose shot was blocked. The loose ball fell nicely into the path of Jim Kellermann who was inches wide with a tremendous 25-yard drive.
Wolves deservedly drew level in the 55th minute with a great individual goal from Hunte who rode four challenges as he cut into the box before lashing the ball into the net from 15-yards.
Midway through the half a Hunte corner almost saw Wanderers take the lead with Wilson twice in as many seconds having shots cleared off the line by defenders.
It was Wilson again, in the 69th and 70th minutes, that dragged shots narrowly wide of the far post with Lewis beaten on each occasion.
Flatt was forced into a full length save as he turned away a free-kick from James Armson. And substitute Connor Ronan was too high when Wolves were awarded a free-kick from 25-yards out.
Daniel Armstrong, on as a substitute for Rainey, had the chance to win it for Wolves deep into stoppage time but after Will Randall had slipped a short pass to him, he shot into the side netting.
With no extra-time, the game went straight into a penalty shoot-out and with Flatt saving the first two home penalties, from Asante and Adam Walker, and Ronan converting for Wolves, it was looking good.
But Hause’s spot-kick, which would have made it 2-0, struck the underside of the bar and bounced down on the line,
Armson, Leslie and Byfield all netted with the next three home kicks and, with Armstrong and Enobakhare doing likewise for Wolves, it was left to Kellermann to win it for Wanderers. But Lewis made a good save to reduce the shoot-out to sudden death.
Cowan and Collins were both successful to make it four all but, after Connor Franklin gave his side the advantage, Randall saw his kick saved and Solihull were through to the last four.
Moors: Lewis, Hayden, Gough (Franklin 61), Cowan (capt), Bignot, Kelly, Byfield, Leslie, Asante, Walker, Armson.
Unused subs: Rosser, Acton, Ellis, Nesbitt.
Wolves: Flatt (capt), Odoffin, Deslandes, Rainey (Ronan 67), Upton, Hause, Hunte (Armstrong 70), Kellermann, Wilson (Collins 83), Enobakhare, Randall.
Unused subs: Carter, Weeks.
Booking: Enobakhare (37 – retaliation).
Referee: Lisa Rashid.
Attendance: 260.
