Renat Dadashov’s double was not enough to complete a determined Wolves under-23s second-half comeback at Tottenham Hotspur after the young side found themselves 3-0 down at half-time.
The hosts took the lead after just eight minutes when Troy Parrott got on the end of a Maurizio Pochettino cross before firing past Andreas Sondergaard in the Wolves goal.
Wolves should have levelled the game up after Dadashov did well to hold off the defender before playing the ball to Bruno Jordao, who had got in between the defensive lines. Bearing down on goal with just Jonathan De Bie to beat, Jordao squared to Chem Campbell who put the ball wide with the goal gaping.
Spurs soon punished Wolves’ lack of clinical finishing through Mukendi, whose low shot from range doubled his side’s advantage. After Morgan Gibbs-White was forced off through injury, Spurs added a third as Pochettino finished off a good counter-attacking move.
With it all to do in the second period, Wolves came out the stronger side and had opportunities to get back into the game which went begging, but on 76 minutes Dadashov was fouled in the Spurs area and the referee awarded a penalty. The Azerbaijani forward confidently finished from the spot, high to De Bie’s right and into the top corner of the net.
Minutes later, Dadashov got his second of the evening as Wolves were trying their best to get back on level terms. From the hands of Sondergaard, the keeper lashed the ball up field straight to Dadashov, who had got behind the defence. With De Bie rushing out to close him down, the striker took one touch to get the ball round the keeper before finishing coolly as a pair of Spurs defenders attempted to block his route to goal.
The comeback came inches away from being complete with just two minutes of the game remaining when Jordao was found on the edge of the area by Dadashov, and after taking a touch to control the ball the Portuguese midfielder fired a rocket of a shot which looked like it was heading to the back of the net before hitting the face of the crossbar.
COMING UP
The under-23s continue their Premier League Cup campaign next Monday evening as James Collins’ side visit Blackburn Rovers in the last 16.
NEXT FIVE
09/04 Blackburn Rovers (A) PLC
16/03 Derby County (H)
25/03 Nuneaton Borough (A) BSC
03/04 Chelsea (A)
17/04 Manchester City (H)
TEAMS
Spurs: De Bie, Okedina, Fagan-Walcott, Lyons-Foster, Hinds, Bowden, White, Mukendi (Clarke 90), Pochettino (Patterson 72), Markanday, Parrott (Richards 45).
Unused subs: Oluwayemi, Dinzeyi.
Wolves: Sondergaard, Buur, Otasowie, Marques, Mayounga, Bueno (Loiodice 90), Gibbs-White (Taylor 36), Jordao, Perry, Campbell (Dongda He 82), Dadashov.
Unused subs: Nya, Cundle.
