Coventry are back at Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since winning it 1987 and they will remember this match for nearly as long as that one.
Into nine minutes of stoppage time, the Championship club were heading out of the competition thanks to late goals from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo Bueno.
But then Ellis Simms equalised with his second of the game and in the 10th minute of stoppage time, Haji Wright sent them to the semi-finals with a special strike from the edge of the box.
Coventry boss Mark Robins, the hero of Manchester United’s FA Cup win in 1990, made a Jose Mourinho-style charge down the touchline. On ran the substitutes as Wolves players dropped to their knees.
The Sky Blues will travel south next month for the last-four tie next month and memories of their 3-2 win over Tottenham in 1987, Keith Houchen’s diving header and all, will be revived between now and then.
Coventry are back at Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since winning it 1987
Ellis Simms and Haji Wright both dramatically scored deep into injury-time for the Sky Blues
Simms reached the ball just before Toti and forced it over the line for the opening goal
Sympathy must go to Wolves, who were without their first-choice attacking trio Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha and can still qualify for Europe through the league. But Gary O’Neil knows this was a huge missed chance.
Both sides had promising moments early on without ever testing the goalkeepers. Ait-Nouri showed some clever touches for Wolves early on while Coventry had pace in attack and tested O’Neil’s men when they regained possession.
Wolves nearly broke through twice around the half-hour mark. Nelson Semedo wriggled past Liam Kitching and steered the ball into the middle, where Bobby Thomas scrambled it away from Nathan Fraser and neither Ait-Nouri nor Mario Lemina could take advantage.
Shortly afterwards, Lemina’s brilliant angled pass picked out Pablo Sarabia, allowing the Spaniard to square for Semedo. The strike was poor, though, and Bradley Collins pushed it away.
Ten minutes before the break Simms produced a miss that had to be seen to be believed. Jose Sa could only push Kasey Palmer’s effort to Jake Bidwell and when the left-back drilled it back across the six-yard box, Coventry seemed certain to take the lead.
But with most of the goal to aim at, Simms found his feet in a tangle and shot against Sa’s body – and incredibly, the ball would have gone wide had Sa not intervened.
Simms tried to make amends moments later with a strong run and pass that sent Milan van Ewijk clear, with the Dutchman denied by Sa. Then it was Palmer’s turn to curse himself when he volleyed Simms’ lay-off straight at the Wolves keeper.
Coventry did not lose their mettle, however, and took the lead eight minutes after the break in the game’s most controversial moment. Palmer’s free-kick was nodded across goal by Kitching and as Joel Latibeaudiere slid and missed, Simms reached the ball just before Toti and forced it over the line.
After the excitement, the farce. The game was delayed by more than four minutes as VAR checked for a possible handball, as the ball appeared to have glanced his shoulder on the way in.
Ait-Nouri was stationed ideally to make the most of a mistake and duly volleyed beyond Collins
Wolves thought they had won when Hugo Bueno slid it into the far corner after 88 minutes
Even the Wolves fans, whose side wanted the goal overturned, chanted ‘Boring! Boring!’ as referee Sam Barrott stood helpless while Graham Scott studied replays at Stockley Park.
Finally, the goal was given and to give Wolves their due, they did not really protest. Coventry were galvanised though and Haji Wright, Josh Eccles and Palmer – with a delicate chip after Wolves had conceded possession – all went close.
By now Wolves had switched to a back four and introduced another youngster, Leon Chiwome, for the struggling Fraser. Joao Gomes tried to gee up the South Bank after his ferocious strike had been turned behind. Then they came even closer when substitute Matt Doherty nodded Sarabia’s free-kick into the danger and Ait-Nouri headed against a post.
Yet Wolves remained loose in possession and Sa bailed them out with two sharp saves, first from Simms’ volley and then a swerving effort from Callum O’Hare, who had replaced Palmer. Then Sa came to the rescue again by keeping out Kitching’s near-post toe-poke from Bidwell’s cross.
Wright ambled down the left, Thomas flicked on the cross and there was Simms to head it in
Wright gathered on the edge of the box and guided his shot into the far corner for the winner
Max Kilman and Joao Gomes look on dejected after suffering defeat deep into injury-time
How Coventry regretted that miss. With Wolves starting to get desperate, Sarabia crossed from the right, the ball flicked off youngster Chiwome and rebounded off Latibeaudiere. Ait-Nouri was stationed ideally to make the most of it and duly volleyed beyond Collins.
Ait-Nouri was not finished there, either. Picking up the ball on the left, the Algerian snaked in from the left, riding a couple of challenges and playing a perfect pass for Bueno, who slid it into the far corner.
Wolves thought they had done it but with nine minutes added, back came the Sky Blues. Haji Wright ambled down the left, Thomas flicked on the cross and there was Simms to head in his second. As extra-time seemed inevitable, Wright gathered on the edge of the box and guided his shot into the far corner in front of the Coventry fans.
