It took a penalty shootout to separate Wolves under-21s and Morecambe as Rob Edwards’ young side picked up a bonus point from their draw in the Leasing.com Trophy.
Elliot Watt and Austin Samuels scored to give Wolves a single goal advantage going into the break following Tom Brewitt’s equaliser, before Michael Howard brought Morecambe level in the second period. However, with the game going to penalties, Wolves held their nerve to win the shootout 5-4.
In an entertaining opening 45 minutes at the Globe Arena, Wolves had to take the lead twice after they were pegged back just minute after opening the scoring.
Watt put Wolves ahead with 23 minutes on the clock when he curled a delightful free-kick around the Morecambe wall and into the top right corner, beyond the gloves of a diving Mark Halstead.
It didn’t take the hosts long to respond. Andreas Sondergaard made a wonderful diving save to his left to keep out a shot which was driven from long-distance, but he could do little to stop Brewitt who followed up the effort and tapped the ball past the young Wolves keeper.
Wolves regained the lead to complete a spell of three goals within six minutes. After getting up highest to beat his marker, Terry Taylor won a header which looped on to the feet of a forward rushing Samuels. The Wolves striker took the ball in his stride before outpacing his marker and after entering the box he launched an unstoppable low drive past Halstead.
The visitors had a great chance to extend their lead shortly after the half-time break but Benny Ashley-Seal, who netted a hat-trick in the first match of the competition against Carlisle United last week, headed over from five yards out.
Morecambe almost equalised from a spectacular effort from Cole Stockton who slammed a long-range effort off the crossbar, while the hosts were also denied with half an hour left on the clock when Rhys Oates thought he had brought Morecambe level, only to be denied by the assistant’s flag.
The hosts finally got their goal with just under 10 minutes left on the clock when Howard reacted quickest to the ball cannoning back off the bar to head home from a matter of yards out.
To penalties the game went, and it was Wolves who held their nerve to take the shootout victory and claim the extra point.
COMING UP
The under-23s are in Premier League Cup action next Monday night as they travel to Derby County’s Pride Park for their opening game of the competition from 7pm. Wolves faced the Rams in the PL Cup last-16 stage in 2018/19.
NEXT FIVE
07/11 Derby County (A) PLC
20/10 Liverpool (A)
26/10 Tottenham Hotspur (H)
01/11 Derby County (A)
05/11 Blackpool (A) LCT
TEAMS
Morecambe: Halstead, Tanner, Lavelle, Old, Buxton, Cranston, Wildig, Brewitt (Howard 74), Ellison, Oates (O’Sullivan 78), Stockton (Mendes Gomes 86).
Unused subs: Roche, Jagne, Brownsword, Lynch.
Wolves: Sondergaard, Buur (Otasowie 78), Sanderson, Marques, Richards, Thompson, Watt, Taylor (Tsun Dai 90), Perry, Samuels, Ashley-Seal.
Unused subs: Pardington, Flavio, Nya, Hong Wan, Hanne.
