Coventry are back at Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since winning it in 1987 and will remember this match almost as long as they did that one.
Nine minutes into added time, the Championship club were edging closer to the competition thanks to late goals from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo Bueno.
But then Ellis Simms equalized with his second goal of the game and in the 10th minute of added time, Haji Wright sent the team to the semi-finals with a special shot from the edge of the area.
Coventry manager Mark Robins, hero of Manchester United’s FA Cup victory in 1990, attacked Jose Mourinho-style down the touchline. The substitutes ran as the Wolves players took a knee.
The Sky Blues travel south next month for their quarter-final tie next month and memories of their 3-2 victory over Tottenham in 1987, Keith Houchen’s header and all, will be revived between now and then. so.
Coventry returns to Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since winning it in 1987
Ellis Simms (right) and Haji Wright (left) scored in added time for the Sky Blues.
Simms reached the ball just before Toti and pushed it over the line for the first goal.
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Sympathy must go to Wolves, who were without their starting attacking trio Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha and can still qualify for Europe through the league. But Gary O’Neil knows it was a huge missed opportunity.
Both teams had promising moments early on without testing the goalkeepers. Ait-Nouri showed some smart touches for Wolves early on, while Coventry had pace in attack and tested O’Neil’s men as they regained possession.
Wolves almost broke through twice around the half-hour mark. Nelson Semedo passed Liam Kitching and directed the ball towards the centre, where Bobby Thomas took it away from Nathan Fraser and neither Ait-Nouri nor Mario Lemina were able to capitalise.
Shortly after, a brilliant angled pass from Lemina found Pablo Sarabia, allowing the Spaniard to slot home for Semedo. However, the shot was poor and was parried away by Bradley Collins.
Ten minutes before half-time, Simms made a mistake that had to be seen to be believed. José Sa could only push Kasey Palmer’s effort towards Jake Bidwell and when the left-back finished it across the six-yard box, Coventry looked certain to take the lead.
But with most of the goal to aim for, Simms found his feet tangled and fired into Sa’s body, and incredibly, the ball would have deflected had Sa not intervened.
Simms tried to make amends moments later with a strong run and a pass that cleared Milan van Ewijk, but the Dutchman was denied by Sa. Then it was Palmer’s turn to curse himself as he volleyed Simms’ lay-off straight at the Wolves goalkeeper.
However, Coventry did not lose their temper and took the lead eight minutes after the break in the most controversial moment of the match. Palmer’s free kick was headed by Kitching and when Joel Latibeaudiere slipped and missed, Simms reached the ball just before Toti and forced him over the line.
After the commotion, the farce. The game was delayed for more than four minutes while the VAR checked for a possible handball, as the ball appeared to have brushed his shoulder as it entered.
Ait-Nouri was in an ideal position to make the most of a mistake and duly volleyed past Collins.
The Wolves thought they had won when Hugo Bueno slotted the ball into the far corner after 88 minutes.
Even the Wolves fans, whose team wanted the goal disallowed, chanted ‘Boring! Bored!’ As referee Sam Barrott stood helpless as Graham Scott studied the replays at Stockley Park.
Finally, the goal was given and, to Wolves’ credit, they didn’t really protest. However, Coventry galvanized and Haji Wright, Josh Eccles and Palmer, with a delicate chip after Wolves had conceded possession, came close.
By then Wolves had switched to a back four and introduced another youngster, Leon Chiwome, for the scrappy Fraser. Joao Gomes attempted to lift the South Bank after his fierce attack was repulsed. They then went even closer when substitute Matt Doherty headed in a Sarabia free-kick and Ait-Nouri headed against a post.
However, Wolves maintained possession and Sa rescued them with two strong saves, first from a Simms volley and then from a deflected attempt by Callum O’Hare, who had replaced Palmer. Sa then came to the rescue again by avoiding Kitching’s kick from the near post after a Bidwell cross.
Wright wandered down the left, Thomas fired in a cross and Simms was there to head in.
Wright concentrated on the edge of the box and guided his shot into the far corner to score the winning goal.
Max Kilman and Joao Gomes look dejected after losing in added time
How that lady regretted Coventry. When the Wolves were beginning to despair, Sarabia crossed from the right, the ball bounced off the young Chiwome and bounced off Latibeaudiere. Ait-Nouri was in an ideal position to make the most of it and duly volleyed past Collins.
Ait-Nouri didn’t end there either. Picking up the ball on the left, the Algerian slid down the left, made a couple of challenges and played a perfect pass to Bueno, who slid it into the far corner.
The Wolves thought they had done it, but nine more minutes later, the Sky Blues returned. Haji Wright wandered down the left, Thomas fired in the cross and Simms headed in his second. As extra time looked inevitable, Wright concentrated on the edge of the area and guided his shot into the far corner in front of the Coventry fans.