Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Brighton and Hove Albion. The FA Cup Fifth Round.
Molineux.
Report as Wolves beat Brighton 1-0 at Molineux in the last 16 of the FA Cup to set up a quarter-final clash at home to Championship side Coventry City; Mario Lemina's goal in the second minute gave Gary O'Neil's side the lead and they held on for victory
Wednesday 28 February 2024 22:14, UK
Mario Lemina's early goal sent Wolves through to the quarter-final of the FA Cup as they held on for a 1-0 win over Brighton at Molineux.
The victory was hard fought and sets up a home tie with Championship side Coventry City for the chance to go to Wembley - but Jason Steele will be ruing his evening.
It was the Seagulls goalkeeper's failure to claim a cross that presented Lemina with his chance after 78 seconds and Steele squandered his opportunity for redemption, skewing his shot wide after going up for a corner in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Brighton beat Wolves 4-1 at Molineux in Gary O'Neil's first home game in charge, having dispatched them 6-0 in April too, but it was the perfect start for the hosts - gifted them by Steele. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde did well but the cross was a routine catch.
Instead, Steele spilt it awkwardly and Lemina was able to get the better of his marker at the second time of asking to hook the ball into the net while on the deck. It gave Wolves a lead to hold onto and set the pattern for the rest of the match.
Roberto De Zerbi's team had their chances. Jakub Moder curled wide. Facundo Buonanotte missed the target with a header from point-blank range. But O'Neil's side defended doggedly and largely restricted Brighton to crosses from out wide, keeping them at bay.
The best opportunity fell to Steele deep into stoppage time. The goalkeeper is famed for his footwork at the other end of the pitch but he snatched at the shot when the moment came. It made for a miserable night for him and his team - with that Coventry tie the prize.
It is Wolves who have seized the chance. It comes at a price. An injury to Hee-Chan Hwang saw him hobble from the field, while Lemina and Joao Gomes also appeared uncomfortable. That is for another day. The night ended with O'Neil punching the air in delight.
Wolves travel to Newcastle on Saturday looking to keep themselves ahead of their hosts, who they lead on goal difference in the Premier League table, kick-off at 3pm.
It is a trip to Fulham next up for Brighton this Saturday, with the Seagulls keen to put the pressure on sixth-placed Manchester United and earn a third league win in five games, kick-off at 3pm.
