Wolves under-23s missed out on the chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the Premier League International Cup as Liverpool fought back from two goals down to earn the point they needed to snatch the knockout spot from the host's grasps at Molineux.
After a positive opening to the game, Wolves took an early lead in the contest through a rocket of a strike by Bruno Jordao. After good work by Morgan Gibbs-White to find Rafa Nya on the right, the Frenchman’s shot was cleared out of the area, but only as far as the Portuguese youth international who lashed an unstoppable effort across Caoimhin Kelleher’s goal and into the far corner.
With Wolves in control of the contest and threatening Kelleher’s goal with a couple of half chances, it was the visitors who ended the first-half on the front foot.
A brilliantly timed ball played through between Hugo Bueno and Lewis Richards found Neco Williams on the right and his cross was met at the far post by Liam Millar, but fortunately for the hosts, the Liverpool striker could not diver the ball beyond Andreas Sondergaard.
Wolves started the second 45 minutes in electric fashion and doubled their lead through Dadashov. The Azerbaijani was found with a well-timed through ball and raced in on goal, before turning Kelleher and firing a low drive into the bottom corner.
Despite being in control at 2-0, Wolves were hit with a double hammer blow, with the visitors scoring twice in the space of two minutes.
Firstly, Joe Hardy got one back for the Reds when a scramble in the box fell to his feet and he fired home, before Harvey Elliott was able to acrobatically get on the end of a corner into the centre of the Wolves area and directed the ball across goal and past the stretches of Sondergaard.
Wolves could have gone back in front with just over 60 minutes on the clock, but Dion Sanderson was unable to keep his close-range header down from a Gibbs-White cross. Sondergaard then had to be at his best to deny Leighton Clarkson from distance, with the Wolves keeper producing a top-quality save to get his fingertips to the Liverpool midfielder’s drive from 25 yards which was heading into the top corner.
With the game heading into the fourth and final minute of added time, Wolves had the best chance of the match to secure their place in the quarter-finals, but after controlling the ball on his chest, Jordao couldn’t keep his effort from heading over the crossbar.
COMING UP
The under-23s are back in action on Monday 3rd February when James Collins’ side face Southampton on in a Premier League 2 Division 2 basement battle.
NEXT FIVE
03/02 Southampton (A)
06/02 Birmingham City (A) PLC
12/02 Leamington FC (A) BSC
17/02 Liverpool (H)
21/02 Leeds United (A) PLC
TEAMS
Wolves: Sondergaard, Nya, Sanderson, Otasowie, Richards, Bueno, Gibbs-White (Hanne 90), Jordao, Cundle (Francis 80), Campbell (Perry 66), Dadashov.
Subs: Young, Taylor, Hong Wan, Dongda He.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Williams, Hoever, van den Berg, Larouci (Lewis 21), Chirivella, Clarkson, Cain, Elliott, Millar, Hardy.
Subs: Winterbottom, Boyes, Dixon-Bonner, Gallacher, Bearne, Varesanovic.
