Forest win 4-3 on penalties
Wolves’ longest run in the Carabao Cup for 27 years came to an end in the quarter-finals after Julen Lopetegui’s side fell to Nottingham Forest on penalties.
Wolves were undone by one of their former players after Willy Boly put Forest ahead inside 20 minutes when he directed the ball into the net from a matter of yards. Wolves grew into the match and were well on top in the second-half when Raul Jimenez turned Matheus Cunha’s cross home at the far post.
With the teams unable to be settled after 90 minutes, the contest went to penalties, and when Ruben Neves missed his first kick, Wolves needed to score with their fifth to take it to sudden death as Joe Hodge stepped up to the mark, but the young midfielder found his kick saved by Dean Henderson, sending the hosts into the semi-finals.
With so many games in such a short space of time, Lopetegui rotated his pack again for a second game in succession, bringing in six new starters than those who lined up in the FA Cup at Anfield four days previously.
It was one of those changes who had the best opening of the game in gold and black as Hee Chan Hwang got himself into a good position down the left but the Korean ventured into an offside position with Wolves getting bodies forward.
A scrappy opening to the game saw Forest have most of the early opportunities, and it was Wolves Academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White who was behind most of them from the hosts. The midfielder was whipping plenty of balls into the box, but the reds shirts were not getting on the end of them.
That was until another ex-Wolves man broke the deadlock just inside the opening 20 minutes. After a corner was palmed onto the bar by Jose Sa, before being headed onto the woodwork by Rayan Ait-Nouri, Boly was there to poke the ball home from close-range. The defender showed muted celebrations against his former club as he ran back to his own half after scoring.
Wolves grew into the half, and Forest were indebted to their goalkeeper in keeping their lead. Henderson did well to get down and gather in Goncalo Guedes’ shot from the edge of the box, before the visitors had several opportunities to level the scoreline.
Firstly, Henderson made a good stop to block Jimenez’s shot after the Mexican was played in on goal following a clever one-two with Hwang, and although the rebound fell to Guedes, he could only blaze an effort over the crossbar. The Forest keeper had to be at his best minutes later to palm Hwang’s shot away from his net after the Wolves striker hit a sweetly struck volley on target.
Half-time | Nottm Forest 1-0 Wolves
As in the first-half, Wolves came out the slower of the two sides after the break and needed Sa to be at full stretch to deny former teammate Gibbs-White. The midfielder had a go from 20 yards but the keeper got down well to palm the ball clear of his goal.
The game swung on the hour mark. Boly had to go off through injury, and Wolves brought on Cunha and Daniel Podence, and the change made an almost immediate impact. Just five minutes after coming off the bench, the Brazilian found space down the right before whipping a driven low cross to the far post for Jimenez to tap in.
The final half hour saw Wolves throw everything forward to try to get a goal, but the hosts were holding bodies back and trying to counter on the break.
With Adama Traore introduced in the final 15 minutes, he tried time and time again to race past the Forest defence, but every time the red shirts would double up on the Spaniard.
But as Wolves pushed for a winner, the game became stretched, although neither side were able to trouble their opposite keepers. Hodge had an opportunity to turn the ball home from just inside the box after clever work from Cunha and Podence, but he was unable to get the required contact.
The contest was heating up in the closing stages, as Wolves' late appeals for a penalty after feeling Nunes was fouled just inside the box led to altercations between both sets of players, but the final whistle brought penalties as the sides couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes.
Full-time | Nottm Forest 1-1 Wolves
Surridge (Forest) MISSES 0-0
Neves (Wolves) MISSES 0-0
Freuler (Forest) SCORES 1-0
Podence (Wolves) SCORES 1-1
Worrall (Forest) SCORES 2-1
Nunes (Wolves) SCORES 2-2
Gibbs-White (Forest) SCORES 3-2
Cunha (Wolves) SCORES 3-3
Colback (Forest) SCORES 4-3
Hodge (Wolves) MISSES 4-3
Forest | Henderson, Aurier, Worrall, Boly (McKenna 60), Lodi, Yates, Freuler, Mangala (Colback 64), Gibbs-White, Scarpa (Dennis 68), Johnson (Surridge 68).
Unused subs | Hennessey, Cook, Mbe Soh, O’Brien, Toffolo.
Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Jonny, Kilman, Toti, Ait-Nouri (Podence 60), Nunes, Moutinho (Cunha 60), Guedes (Neves 46), Jimenez (A. Traore 75), Hwang (Hodge 81).
Unused subs | Sarkic, Lembikisa, Collins, Bueno.
Referee | Graham Scott
