Wolves 1 (Lemina 2) Brighton 0
Mario Lemina’s second-minute goal sent Wolves into the quarter-finals of the Emirates FA Cup for the first time since the 2018/19 season with victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
The midfielder’s early strike saw the Old Gold lead for 88 minutes of the fifth round tie at Molineux and hold out to secure a place in the final eight where Coventry City await.
In an electric start to proceedings, Wolves broke the deadlock in under two minutes through some outstanding work down the left-hand side from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. The attacker exquisitely turned his man on halfway and raced down the wing before his cross into the area, which looked a routine catch for Jason Steele, was dropped by the Brighton goalkeeper and at the second attempt, Lemina scooped home on the floor from close range.
Brighton began to gain control of the ball following the opener and Simon Adingra came close when he looked to curl one past Jose Sa from inside the area, but his effort was high and wide of the right-hand post.
And the visitors came even closer to a leveller when Jakub Moder was well-placed on the edge of the box attempting to finish off a neat Brighton move, however his strike whistled past Sa’s right.
The Seagulls were almost the masters of their own downfall when Igor Julio’s pass back to Steele sold his goalkeeper short and Bellegarde looked to nip in. Fortunately for Brighton, Steele was quickly out and despite leaving Bellegarde on the ground, he was able to get enough of the ball to bail his teammate out.
Facundo Buonanotte will have felt he should’ve done better with a free header in the six-yard box as Pervis Estupinan’s cross was right on the money to create a guilt-edge chance, but the Argentine nodded wide when it looked easier to score.
Despite those chances, it was Wolves who ended the first half the strongest as the two involved in the opener, Bellegarde and Lemina, almost replicated what happened in the second minute. This time, Bellegarde got away from Jan Paul van Hecke and picked out an unmarked Lemina in the centre, but the midfielder went for a first-time acrobatic effort and volleyed wide.
Half-time | Wolves 1-0 Brighton
The visitors made a half-time change with Danny Welbeck replacing Cameron Peupion at the interval, as the Seagulls went in search of the goal to get them back on level terms. From a Pascal Gross corner, Lewis Dunk showed his aerial presence and won the first contact, but nodded wide of the far post.
Gary O’Neil responded with changes of his own and a double one as goal scorer Lemina and Hee Chan Hwang made way for Pablo Sarabia and Pedro Neto.
Neto immediately impacted the game and after receiving the ball on halfway, the Portuguese was away as he nutmegged one defender and was in a footrace with Julio. The Brighton man did well to block Neto’s initial shot before the Wolves man was denied by the retreating Brighton defenders before he could capitalise on the loose ball.
Shortly after Boubacar Traore’s introduction, Sarabia was set free down the right and looked to take an early shot at the near post with his right, but the angle was closed down well and the Brighton defence were able to block.
One of Roberto De Zerbi’s substitutes, Julio Enciso, looked to bring a spark to the visitors as time ticked down into the final 10 minutes, however his shot from distance was comfortably wide of the mark.
The Seagulls got closer when substitute Valentin Barco crossed into an area where Welbeck was waiting to pounce and the striker was able to get across his man, but could only nod over the top of Sa’s crossbar.
“Gary O’Neil’s barmy army” echoed around the stadium as the Molineux crowd looked to help their side over the line in the final minutes. Sarabia’s corner was met by the head of Maximilian Kilman who angled the ball towards the top corner, but Steele was out to collect.
And it was Steele who should’ve dramatically sent the tie to extra-time after coming up for a corner. After Dunk won the initial header, the goalkeeper found himself free but, from a couple of yards out, he prodded wide with the last kick.
Full-time | Wolves 1-0 Brighton
Wolves | Sa, Doherty, Kilman, S. Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri (Dawson 90+3), Gomes (Semedo 90+4), Lemina (Sarabia 56), Doyle, Bellegarde (Traore 76), Hwang (Neto 56).
Unused subs | Bentley, H. Bueno, Chirewa, Fraser.
Brighton | Steele, Igor Julio (Barco 80), Dunk, Gross, Moder (Baleba 61), Adingra, Van Hecke, Estupinan, Fati (Enciso 70), Buonanotte (Baker-Boaitey 70), Peupion (Welbeck 46).
Unused subs | Verbruggen, Webster, Lallana, Barco, Offiah.
