Report | Brighton 3-2 Wolves

Wolves were eliminated from the Carabao Cup after a match on the south coast, even though they put up a strong performance in the second half against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Similar to Sunday’s match, there were some encouraging aspects of the Old Gold’s performance, but things became challenging right from the start when Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra fired low shots into the net from outside the box within the first 31 minutes.

Wolves scored their opening goal thanks to a great teamwork effort, culminating in Matt Doherty setting up Goncalo Guedes. In the second half, the team found themselves scrambling to regain control, but they couldn't make that vital play. Instead, they allowed Ferdi Kadioglu to score a third goal against them.

As time was running out, Tommy Doyle made a brilliant shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and went in. However, there was no last-minute excitement to come, as Wolves' Carabao Cup adventure came to an end at the Amex Stadium.

The cup match gave ten players from O'Neil's team a chance to showcase their skills, especially Alfie Pond, who was making his senior debut for the club after a 13-month gap since his last outing in the same tournament. He observed as Jose Sa easily handled his first save of the match, stopping an early shot from Evan Ferguson.

Wolves had their first chance when young player Pedro Lima seized the opportunity after Guedes stumbled while pushing forward. However, Lima's shot was thwarted by the Brighton defenders who were quickly getting back into position.

Joao Gomes was the only player who kept his spot from the weekend match, but it was he who lost the ball leading to the first goal. After Wolves managed to escape a tough situation, Baleba took the ball from Gomes and then sent a low shot into the bottom corner, just out of Sa's reach.

In their quest to find the equalizer, Guedes made a couple of near misses for the guests, who were sporting their new black away kit. First, the Portuguese player headed the ball just over the goal from a cross delivered by Rodrigo Gomes. Then, he followed that up with a well-aimed shot that was expertly saved by Luke Steele, who tipped it over the crossbar.

Nonetheless, even with that stretch of good performance, Wolves found themselves trailing even more at the 32-minute mark. Adingra made a move inside, getting past Lima and Santiago Bueno, and then skillfully curled the ball low into the bottom corner, out of Sa's reach.

It might have seemed like things were going south for Wolves, but they regrouped after halftime and fought to turn the game around. Doherty took the lead in the offense, pushing the team forward and setting up Rodrigo. Rodrigo's return pass sent the left-back racing to the edge of the box, and Doherty’s cross back allowed Guedes to position himself perfectly and score, with a little help from a deflection.

Half-time Update | Brighton 2, Wolves 1

The Wolves scored right before halftime and could have equalized right after. As soon as play resumed, Guedes set Rodrigo up for a chance at goal, but he was positioned a bit to the left. However, his touch was a bit too heavy, pushing him off-target, which resulted in a weak shot that Steele easily saved.

This marked a promising beginning to the second half, where Guedes played a key role. He sent two threatening crosses in front of the goal that could have resulted in more, but Steele managed to stop the second, which was aimed at Pablo Sarabia and was particularly risky.

A triple substitution at the hour mark increased Wolves' danger even more. When the newly energized Nelson Semedo sent a ball across the goal for Hee Chan Hwang, Adam Webster almost scored an own goal as he tried to intervene, but Jack Hinshelwood cleared it off the line just in time.

The Old Gold were approaching quickly, and when Semedo passed the ball to Rodrigo, he smartly set it up for Guedes. However, as Guedes tried to shoot into the near post, he missed the target and gave the Seagulls a reprieve.

Wolves were controlling much of the game, but they just couldn't find the finishing touch. So, when Brighton managed a quick counterattack that led to their third goal, it felt like a hard blow. Substitute Danny Welbeck got behind Semedo, and after his shot was deflected by Sa, it landed perfectly for Kadioglu, who easily tapped it into the open net.

The Old Gold managed to secure a fitting conclusion to a closely contested match when Steele handed the ball over to Jorgen Strand Larsen in his own penalty area. The Norwegian held on for a moment, then passed it to Doyle, who still faced a challenging finish. He expertly struck the ball into the net off the underside of the crossbar. Unfortunately, no further opportunities came their way, leading to Wolves' departure from the cup competition.

Final Whistle | Brighton 3-2 Wolverhampton

Brighton | Steele, Hinshelwood, Webster, Julio, Estupinan, Minteh (substituted by Kadioglu in the 82nd minute), Moder (replaced by Ayari in the 71st minute), Baleba (taken off for Wieffer in the 63rd minute), Adingra, Ferguson (switched out for Welbeck in the 63rd minute), Enciso (subbed off for Lamptey in the 82nd minute).

Players who didn't get to play: Verbruggen, Dunk, Mitoma, and Veltman.

Wolves | Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Pond, Lima (replaced by Semedo at 64 minutes), Doyle, J Gomes (substituted by Lemina at 64 minutes), Sarabia (switched out for Forbs at 63 minutes), Hwang (came off for Cunha at 71 minutes), R Gomes, Guedes (taken off for Strand Larsen at 82 minutes).

Players who didn't see any action: King, Dawson, Andre, Cundle.