Wolves 0 Fulham 2 (Quashie 35, Zepa 84)
A first-half penalty and late counter-attack reduced Wolves under-18s to defeat in the U18 Premier League Cup against visitors Fulham.
Wolves started off the stronger of the two sides, dominating the first 20 minutes of possession and having the better of the chances against a resilient Fulham defence.
While not being able to capitalise in that initial period of play, Fulham started to grow into the game and switched the momentum around, resulting in a penalty just after the half-hour mark.
The penalty was won by Bashil Lubega who was tripped just inside the Wolves 18-yard box, which led to Fulham skipper, Jayden Quashie, converting the spot kick into the bottom-right corner.
Despite going a goal behind, Wolves were the better side for the rest of the first half but like the first 20 minutes of the game, weren’t able to find a clear-cut chance to get them level before the half-time whistle.
Half-time | Wolves 0-1 Fulham
Wolves goalkeeper Josh Gracey denied the visitors from extending their lead early in the in the second half with a couple of smart saves from shots inside the area.
After the slightly shaky start in the second half, Wolves once again began to control the game, with their build-up play being much more efficient and precise than their opponents’ for large periods of the game.
One move in particular helped create the home side’s best chance to go level when Emilio Ballard-Matthews was set free down the right wing after the ball was played out from the back into Conor McLeod and then into the path of Ballard-Matthews, whose shot forced Fulham keeper Dino Kaiser into a good save low to his left.
The hosts continued to put pressure onto the opposition defence which eventually ended one sequence of play with Mateus Mane driving through the heart of the Fulham midfield and winning a free-kick a yard outside the penalty area.
The free-kick, also taken by Mane, was tipped over the bar after almost floating into the top-left corner before the following corner was won and flicked from a crowd of bodies and just past the post, but that was as close as the Old Gold got to equalising for the rest of the match.
The final blow came with less than 10 minutes to play as a quick counter-attack from Fulham ended with Macaulay Zepa slotting into the goal to give his side a two-goal cushion which they would hold onto for the remaining time.
Full-time | Wolves 0-2 Fulham
COMING UP
Wolves under-18s travel to face Nottingham Forest in the U18 Premier League on Saturday 19th October.
NEXT THREE
19/10 Nottingham Forest (A)
26/10 Stoke City (H)
2/11 Sunderland (A)
TEAMS
Wolves | Gracey, Dayman (Lochhead 86), Ruddock, Olagunju (Marwa 58), Osifo, Bradbury, White, Rawlings, Ballard-Matthews, Mane (Ji 86), McLeod.
Unused subs | Grieves, Nyakudya.
Fulham | Kaiser, Simons, Cooke, Nsasi, Picotto, White, Quashie, Zepa, Ali-Wahid, Lubega (Khan 89), Evans (Wingate 79).
Subs not used | Varney, Hall, Platel.
Report by Rivaan Athwal
