Wolves survive Salop in the face
SHREWS BOSS SAM SLAMS INJURY TIME
SAM RICKETTS hit out at the officials after League One Shrewsbury were denied a famous win in six minutes of added time.
Salop’s finest were on course for a major upset when the impressive Greg Docherty fired them ahead with a brilliant 47th-minute goal.
Luke Waterfall headed in a corner with 19 minutes left to leave Wolves staring down the barrel at an embarrassing exit.
But the Premier League side’s class eventually told as they threw on £40million of talent off the bench.
It enabled sub Raul Jimenez to quickly pull a goal back before Matt Doherty’s equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time against a side 54 places below them in the football pyramid.
Shrewsbury boss Ricketts, who skippered Wolves to the League One title in 2014, claimed his side were robbed.
He fumed: “Six minutes of injury time? I am not sure where that came from.
“I am getting told the ballboys disappeared. They didn’t disappear, they were still on the side of the pitch.
“Admittedly, they weren’t in the corner where all the police were between the fans.
“But I wouldn’t leave an eight-year-old in the corner with 100 police and fans fighting among themselves. That disappoints me more than anything.
“Six minutes was an awful long time and unfortunately we couldn’t quite hang on in the end. I was surprised to see six minutes. I have been in football a long time and it never felt like it should be six minutes of injury time.
“I don’t think either physio went on.
“But I can’t be disappointed with the performance.”
Shrewsbury beat Stoke away in the previous round after being 2-0 down with 20 minutes left in a replay, but this was shaping up to be even more memorable.
The wet, cold conditions on an uneven pitch were perfect for an upset and Shrewsbury didn’t disappoint against Wolves, from only 30 miles down the road.
The underdogs took the lead after a fine run and pass from Fejiri Okenabirhie ended with Docherty slamming a fierce right-foot shot high into the roof of the net.
Wolves’ own Doherty, Matt, then stood up a cross to give Helder Costa a free header but keeper Steve Arnold made a superb save to his left in the 54th minute.
Home optimism turned to pure glee when Waterfall powered in a header from Ollie Norburn’s corner.
But Nuno went for it with three bold substitutions and, crucially, he moved Adama Traore to the flank, where he was far more effective.
Sub Jimenez notched his 10th goal of the season from Ivan Cavaleiro’s cross in front of the away fans to ensure a tense finale. Wolves’ pressure eventually told when a Traore cross from the right saw wing-back Doherty head in at the near post.
Nuno said: “The effort of the boys in the last minute was amazing and allowed us to go to a second game and stay in the Cup.
“I think it is part of our character.
“It is part of what we are and we believe the game, until it is finished, can give you something. Let’s try and finish the tie at Molineux.”