Wolverhampton Wanderers v Gillingham Live Commentary & Result, 20/12/2022, League Cup

That is all for today, thanks for tuning in!

It is back to league action for both sides next. Wolves head to Everton on Boxing day in a key clash at the bottom of the Premier League whilst Gillingham are at home to Colchester in League Two.

Second-half goals from Jimenez and Ait Nouri are enough for Wolves as they beat Gillingham 2-0 at home to secure their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. After a quiet first half, the home side eventually sprung into life midway through the second period. Hwang was brought down by Alexander in the box from a corner, with subsitute Jimenez stepping up to convert the penalty. Then, in extra time, as Gillingham pressed forward for the equaliser, fellow substitute Ait Nouri was able to put the game to bed wth a calm finish to seal the win for Wolves.

90' + 4' FULL-TIME: Wolves 2-0 Gillingham

90' + 3' OVER!! That should be another for Wolves as Gillingham send men forward. The ball breaks to Hwang in the area who sits Turner down before chipping the ball over the goalkeeper. His effort, though, goes over the bar.

Hwang Hee-Chan

Assist

90' + 1' It is a simple lay-off from Hwang to tee up Ait Nouri to score the second.

R. Aït-Nouri

Goal

90' + 1' GOOAAAAALLLL!!!! 2-0!!! Ait Nouri! That is surely the game wrapped up for Wolves through the substitute Ait Nouri. He wins it back initially before it falls to Jimenez. The mexican finds Hwang who fees it back into Ait Nouri to slot home and secure the win for the home side.

90' Four minitues of added time here at Molineux.

89' Reeves lines up another free-kick for Gillingham. The header is won initially by Baggott but cleared by Wolves. Gillingham recycyle it back to Reeves whose cross finds Kashket but the acrobatic effort sails high and over the Wolves bar.

87' Gillingham need a goal and they have a free-kick in a promising position after Neves brings down Lee but the effort is hit straight down Sa's throat and comfortably saved.

85' Wolves are set to reach the EFL Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1995-96, and for the first time as a top-flight club since 1979-80.

R. Aït-Nouri

Diego Costa

81' Lopetegui has made a lot of attacking subs but now he has the goal he makes a slightly more defensive one with Costa making way for Ait Nouri.

80' Wolves are not content with just one and want to kill this game off. A ball in from Bueno is cleared and fulls to Nunes on the edge of the box. The Portuguese strikes it well but it cannons of one of the many players in a Gillingham shirt and away from the goal.

79' Gillingham have got to have a go now in this encounter. They haven't had a shot so far in the second half but that needs to change or they will be going out of the EFL Cup.

R. Jiménez

Penalty Goal

77' GOAAAAALLLL!!!! WOLVES LEAD!!! JIMENEZ FROM THE SPOT!! The Mexican steps up after the protests clears and it is a delightful penalty, sending Turner the wrong way and calmly slotting the ball into the right-hand corner.

76' PENALTY!! It all kicks off from the corner with shirt pulls and high boots. There are plenty of appeals and the referee points to the spot for what appears to be a shirt pull by Alexander on Hwang.

75' CHANCE! Wolves are beginning to get going now and Semedo has a great chance after latching onto a cross from Nunes. Turner comes out and smothers the effort before it is cleared for a corner.

A. MacDonald

D. Jefferies

74' Gillingham make a triple sub. First off is is Jefferies who is replaced by MacDonald.

O. Lee

S. Williams

74' Finally, Lee enters the game in place of Williams.

B. Reeves

S. O'Keefe

74' O'Keefe also comes off in the midfield and is replaced by Reeves.

73' Traore is seeing more of the ball in these last few minutes and it is causing trouble for Gillingham. His outisde of the boot cross is headed out for a corner with Hwang waiting to pounce. Jimenez meats the corner at the near post but the Mexican's header heads just over the bar with Turner at full stretch.

70' Jimenez is immediately into the action as he combines well with Costa. Nunes finds the Spaniard who lays it back to Jimenez but his effort is scuffed and doesn't trouble the Gillingham net.

R. Jiménez

Daniel Podence

69' It's another change for Wolves with Podence making way for the returning striker Jimenez.

68' WIDE! Traore gets on the ball and runs at the Gillingham defence for the first time since his introduction. His cross is met by Costa in the box but his effort is flicked comfortably wide of the Gillingham post.

67' Midway through this second half and we are still yet to have a shot on target in this half.

S. Kashket

M. Mandron

64' Harris turns to his reduced bench for the first time in this match with Mandron coming off for Kashket.

63' Those changes haven't made the difference immediately and there is an increasingly frustrating atmosphere growing amongst the Wolves fans. Podence and Semedo combine well down the right but the full-back's effort curls high and wide past the Gillingham goal.

Matheus Nunes

Gonçalo Guedes

61' Lopetegui turns to his bench again with a change. Guedes makes way and is replaced by Hwang.

57' O'Keefe was down clutching his head as Wolves broke from the corner. The referee doesn't stop play, much to the protest of the Gillingham bench but the Wolves attack peters out and, after treatment, O'Keefe is okay to continue.

54' Wolves are seeing a lot of the ball in the middle of the park but Gillingham remain solid and Neves' whipped cross into the box sails harmlessly out for a goal kick.

53' Gillingham find themselves forward with the ball after Adelakun outmuscles Semedo. However, his cross in is poor and it is cleared well by Collins out for a throw-in.

50' It is much the same to start this second half as Wolves press forward looking for the opening goal. Moutinho has an effort on the edge of the box but it deflects off Traore and out for a goal kick.

46' KICK-OFF: We are underway for the second half here at Molineux.

Adama Traoré

J. Hodge

46' Lopetegui makes a change at half-time with Hodge being replaced by Traore.

Julen Lopetegui's side still have work to do in this second period and will want to avoid this game heading to penalties. They put some nice patterns of play together as the first-half drew to a close and will want more of the same to start the second half. Harris will be encouraged by how his Gillingham side have applied themselves in that first-half but will need his side to remain focused against another wave of attacks in the second-half

It remains all square at the break between these two sides although Wolves will be encouraged with how they ended the half. Both were slow out of the traps with Gillingham sitting deep and looking to frustrate. A chance for Podence was blocked whilst Hodge headed wide from close range before Neves' superb effort with the last kick of the half struck the post.

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: Wolves 0-0 Gillingham

45' + 1' OFF THE POST!!! It's nearly a moment of inspiration from Neves with the last kick off the half. The corner is played short, Podence leaves it and Neves strikes a vicous right-footed effort which cannons of the post.

45' Just the one minute of added time here at Molineux.

42' CHANCE!! Wolves should be ahead. Guedes and Bueno combine well down the left-flank and it is Guedes who ends up with the ball. He stands up a lovely cross into the six-yard box and Hodge is unmarked with the goal gaping but the Irish youngster can only head agonisingly wide of the right post.

41' As we approach the end of the half, all Wolves' outfield players are in the Gillingham half. Podence receives the ball and fires an effort at Turner which the Gillingham goalkeeper palms away.

38' Wolves are beginning to put some patterns of play together and it is Costa at the hear of it again. His flick is deft and into the path of the onrushing Moutinho but the veteran midfielder takes a heavy touch and the away side can clear.

37' BLOCKED!! Fantastic defence from Gilligham. Costa pulls wide and delivers a low cross into the box. Baggott deflects the cross but it falls straight to Hodge. His effort and the follow-up from Podence are superbly stopped by Gillingham.

34' WIDE!! Neves lines up the free-kick effort and it's narrowly wide of the left-hand post with goalkeeper Turner well beaten.

33' Mandron again concedes a foul, this time for pushing Moutinho in the air, and the home side have a free-kick in a very enticing position.

30' It's a long throw from the away side which Wolves fail to clear, it's worked back in to the box and Semedo is forced to head it out for the first Gillingham corner. Wight's cross is poor, however, failing to clear the first Wolves player and is cleared.

28' Guedes has not had the best start to this game after his overhit cross earlier and he's not at his best again here. He miscontrols a long ball which allows Tutonda to get back on the cover and clear the ball out off the winger for a goal kick.

24' Neves this time has the ball in midfield and floats a lovely ball towards Semedo. The right-back gets to it and crosses the ball in on the half-volley but it is overhit and evades Costa and Podence in the Gillingham area.

22' Podence picks up some space in the middle of the park and floats a ball into the box aimed at Costa. The Spaniard beats Turner to the ball but his flick goes harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

20' Gillingham knocked out Premier League side Brentford on penalties in the third round – they've never progressed past top-flight opposition twice in the same EFL Cup campaign before.

17' Guedes is over the ball but his cross is well overhit and sails out for a throw-in.

16' Hodge is everywhere in these early stages and he draws a fall from Mandron and a free kick for Wolves in a promising area on the right-hand side.

15' CHANCE! Bueno is causing problems down this left-hand side and he dances to the byeline. His cross is headed out by Ehmer but falls to Hodge whose half-volley is deflected out for a corner.

14' Gillingham have a good spell of possession in the Wolves half but Jefferies strays offside running onto a forward ball and the linesman's flag goes up.

12' Wolves recycle the ball from the corner but it comes to nothing as Hodge fails to find a man this time with a cross-field ball and it goes harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.

11' Hodge floats a lovely ball out the Wolves left and Bueno delivers an equally enticing ball into the box. Gillingham hold firm and it's striker Mandron who clears it out for another corner.

8' Gillingham get on the ball briefy for the first time in this encounter but Neves sweeps up at the back after a hopeful long ball forward from the away side.

6' There is more pressure from the home side who force an early corner. Costa attempts to flick it on at the near post with his feet but it is deflected out for another corner.

3' SAVE! As you would expect it is all Wolves in these early stages. Bueno and Neves combine well before the left-back fires a low shot across goal which is saved by Turner.

1' KICK-OFF: We are underway here at Molineux

Gillingham are looking to reach the EFL Cup quarter-final for the first time – seven of their last 10 matches in the competition have gone to a penalty shootout.

Neil Harris makes three changes to his Gillingham side that beat Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup. In defence, Alexander comes intoto replace Green whilst in midfield O'Keefe replaces Reeves. Up front, Mandron returns to the side instead of Walker with early signs suggesting Gillingham will move to a back five for this encounter.

For the home side, there are four changes from their friendly victory against Cadiz. Sa comes in to replace Sarkic in goal. Elsewhere Ait Nouri, Toti and Traore also make way for Bueno, Neves and Guedes.

GILLINGHAM SUBS: Tate Holtam, Scott Kashket, Olly Lee, Alex MacDonald, Ben Reeves.

GILLINGHAM (5-3-2): Jake Turner; Cheye Alexander, Will Wright, Max Ehmer, Elkan Baggott, David Tutonda; Dom Jefferies, Shaun Williams, Stuart O'Keefe; Mikael Mandron, Hakeeb Adelakun.

WOLVES SUBS: Rayan Ait Nouri, Hwang Hee-Chan, Raul Jimenez, Dexter Lembikisa, Matheus Nunes, Connor Ronan, Matija Sarkic, Toti, Adama Traore.

WOLVES (4-3-3): Jose Sa; Nelson Semedo, Nathan Collins, Max Kilman, Hugo Bueno; Joseph Hodge, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho; Goncalo Guedes, Diego Costa, Daniel Podence.

Gillingham, who sit bottom of League Two, haven't play in two weeks either due to postponments. Their last fixture was a 3-2 victory against Dagenham & Redbridge in an FA Cup second-round replay.

It feels like years ago that these sides were drawn to face each other in the EFL Cup round of 16. Wolves, as with all Premier League clubs, have not played a competitive game throughout the World Cup but most recently beat Cadiz 4-3 in a friendly match.

Hello everyone and welcome to this live commentary for the EFL Cup tie between Wolves and Gillingham from Molineux Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Gillingham Live Commentary, 20/12/2022

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