Swansea City 2 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures
Wolves were dumped out of the FA Cup after Wilfried Bony's winner for Swansea.
Former Villa man Jordan Ayew gave Swansea an early lead when beating several players before sidefooting past Will Norris for the first goal Wolves have conceded in a cup match this season.
Wolves were poor in the first half but Diogo Jota's introduction sparked them into life and he scored a brilliant equaliser, before a mistake from Kortney Hause let in Bony to put Swansea into round four.
Analysis
Well, it had to happen sooner or later.
Wolves were unbeaten since the clocks went forward, a run stretching to 14 matches in all competitions, but on a foul night in Swansea they finally came unstuck, writes Tim Spiers at the Liberty Stadium.
They paid for a dreadfully poor start and, after an all-too brief rally following the introduction of Diogo Jota, were undone by something as rare as hen's teeth this season – a poor defensive error.
Kortney Hause was the culprit but he was by no means the only guilty party on a night when Wolves weren't, well, Wolves.
They certainly gave it their best shot (Doherty, Douglas, Saiss, Jota and Bonatini were all on the field at full time) but circumstances combined to dump them out of the cup. With a massive lead at the top of the Championship, a huge squad to choose from and an appetising tie at Notts County in round four, a cup run was within Wolves capabilities.
It's a shame for the likes of Will Norris (finally beaten here after five successive clean sheets), Morgan Gibbs-White and Bright Enobakhare, as you wonder how often they'll feature in the coming months.
However Wolves can now, as they say, exclusively concentrate on the main prize. And that's what this season is all about.
Match report
Nuno handed a full debut to new signing Rafa Mir up front, while Danny Batth returned after suspension and Roderick Miranda made his first start since October 28 – the day of Wolves' last defeat in all competitions, at QPR. The head coach named a very strong bench that included Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves and Leo Bonatini.
Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal named a stronger XI than in the first game, with Alfie Mawson and Jordan Ayew brought into the side.
And it paid an early dividends for the Premier League side, with Ayew the scourge of Wolves in the early stages.
He twice went closing in the opening minutes, with Roderick Miranda superbly denying him on nine minutes. But two minutes later not a single Wolves player – and a few had an opportunity – could stop Ayew as he danced past several challenges before beating Will Norris.
It was a superb goal but Nuno would look to sluggish defending – and not for the last time in the half.
Wolves just couldn't get their foot on the ball, with a boggy, soaked pitch after two hours of teaming rain pre-kick off not helping.
Swansea matching their formation and pressing Wolves at every opportunity were other factors but there were too many individual errors in what was a poor 45 minutes. None of the back three covered themselves in glory, Alfred N'Diaye regularly gifted possession away and Helder Costa, Wolves' only real outlet when they did finally get into the Swansea third, couldn't produce any magic.
Mir was left feeding off scraps, although Wolves did fashion a couple of good chances with N'Diaye and Bright Enobakhare both seeing well-struck efforts blocked at point blank range.
Barry Douglas' set pieces were another weapon to use, but in general it was a half to forget for Nuno's side who would have been further behind were it not for the quick-thinking Norris who dived at Connor Roberts' feet when he was played in by Bony.
No doubt on the back of some stern half time words there was a renewed energy and drive about Wolves' play at the start of the second half. Within a couple of minutes Mir held it up well for Costa whose curler on the turn flashed over.
Talking of holding it up, the sodden pitch was making free-flowing football almost impossible as the rain continued to lash down in south Wales.
The game was descending into a scrap and Nuno called for both Jota and Bonatini, which drew a huge roar from the away end. Mir and Enobakhare were withdrawn and all of a sudden Wolves had some momentum about them.
Within just two minutes they were level. Roderick Miranda's gorgeous chip found Jota who send a sliding defender to Cardiff and then coolly beat the keeper with a sublime goal.
It was all Wolves – they had the bit between their teeth and their only looked like one winner. Jota curled inches wide from 20 yards and there was a spring in everyone's step.
This should have been their moment to take charge...but instead Wolves undid their own hard work. A regulation cross bounced off Hause who couldn't react in time to prevent Bony from sliding it home from six yards.
The balloon had popped and Wolves were deflated. Hause in particular was struggling, with misplaced passes commonplace.
Via the lively Jota they had hope – he embarked on a superb run and his low shot was blocked, with Bonatini's rebound too close to the keeper.
However there was to be no equaliser or extra time. Swansea – who were keeping the ball in the corner in the 87th minute – closed the game out and dumped Wolves out of the cup.
Key moments
11 – GOAL – JORDAN AYEW skips past several Wolves players before sidefooting past Will Norris.
40 – Will Norris is crucially off his line quickly to deny Connor Roberts.
44 – Bright Enobakhare is picked out by Matt Doherty at the end of a good Wolves move – he smashes goalwards but Fernandez makes a goal-saving block.
66 – GOAL – Roderick Miranda chips over the top for DIOGO JOTA who puts a defender on his backside before slotting home.
69 – GOAL – A regulation cross bounces off Kortney Hause and WILFRIED BONY nips in to slide it home from close range.
Line ups
Swansea (3-4-3): Nordfeldt; Naughton, Fernandez (c), Mawson; Roberts, Fer, Mesa (Sung-Yueng. 73), Carroll; Ayew (Dyer, 73), Bony (Clucas, 79), Narsingh. Subs: Mulder, Britton, Bartley, McBurnie.
Goals: Ayew (11), Bony (69)
Wolves (3-4-3): Norris; Batth (c), Miranda, Hause; Doherty, N'Diaye, Gibbs-White, Douglas; Costa, Mir (Bonatini, 64), Enobakhare (Jota, 64). Subs: Burgoyne, Bennett, Coady, Saiss, Neves.
Goal: Jota (66)
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (Manchester)
