Coventry strike twice in injury time to stun Wolves and reach FA Cup last four

In seven years in the job, many of those in trying circumstances, Mark Robins has guided Coventry to two promotions and, last season, to within a Wembley penalty shootout victory of the Premier League. This, however, was arguably his greatest feat yet, leading Coventry into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since the club won the competition in 1987. No wonder some supporters consider his work worthy of a statue. Now they are heading back to the national stadium, after defeating Wolves in a tantalising tie, decided in the 100th minute by a magnificent, unerring finish by Haji Wright.

Two goals in the final seven minutes of normal time turned this game on its head, Wolves heading into at least minutes of stoppage time in front courtesy of strikes from Rayan Aït-Nouri and Hugo Bueno. It would have been a galling defeat for Coventry, who could have been out of sight midway through the second half. Ellis Simms, who got Coventry’s first goal, equalised in the 97th minute and teed up Wright’s superb winner. Wright caressed a first-time shot into the bottom corner of José Sá’s goal after the substitute Callum O’Hare kept the attack alive.

Robins has transformed a dysfunctional club, rebuilding them from the bottom up and restoring Coventry’s proud name, and few could begrudge the celebrations at the final whistle. He has steered them through incessantly choppy waters, making light of ground shares, skeleton staff and unplayable pitches, and here he was able to drink in the reality of a Cup semi-final. Robins, of course, helped Manchester United to win Sir Alex Ferguson’s side the competition in 1990.

The first goal was a contentious one, so much so that it took four minutes for the VAR, Graham Scott, to eventually award it, after the ball bobbled in off Simms’s right arm. Liam Kitching headed a Kasey Palmer free-kick across goal, Joel Latibeaudiere got a touch on it and then the ball struck Simms, who missed a sitter in the first half, and bounced into the net.

The referee, Sam Barrott, stood hands on hips on halfway as both sets of players tried to keep the muscles moving amid the farcical VAR delay. Even the Wolves supporters jeered as Stockley Park stewed over the decision. Robins, typically, was unmoved, hands rooted in pockets on the edge of his technical area.

Wolves were light in attack, with 19-year-old Nathan Fraser, who was close to joining third-tier Shrewsburyon loan in January, again tasked with leading the line in the absence of the injured Matheus Cunha, Hwang-Hee chan and Pedro Neto. Aït-Nouri, however, was the catalyst behind much of Wolves’ good work and his strike restored parity. Then Aït-Nouri cleverly supplied Bueno to strike what he, presumably, thought was an 88th-minute winner. Not so fast.