Wulfs 2 Bustleholme 0

The second round of the Birmingham FA Midland Floodlit Cup saw Wulfs, sponsored by Walsall Engineering Group, travel to fellow WMRL Premier Division side Bustleholme.

Wulfs came out of the blocks like an express train and almost took the lead within the opening thirty seconds when Ricky Anslow picked the ball up just inside the Bustleholme half and glided past three players before shooting wide with just the keeper to beat.

They went close again in the 4th minute.  Chip Southern sent in a right wing corner and the ball fell to Anslow’s feet but he saw two goal bound efforts blocked on the line from close range.

James Skedgel was next to go close when he just failed to divert a deep free kick in at the far post while Bustleholme showed their first attacking intent when Adam Wattley headed a deep corner wide.

Wulfs’ blistering early pace began to subside and the home side were the next to be presented with a good goal scoring opportunity in the 16th minute when an attempt to chest a ball back to the keeper was intercepted by Rob Sargent but Tim Tipton was out quickly to save well down low to his right.

Wulfs hit back and Andy Mitchell saw his looping header from a Mark Tipton free kick tipped over the bar by keeper Neil Page in the 19th minute.

Attacking intent then petered out as both teams struggled to keep possession for any notable period of time.  Bustleholme’s cause was not helped by a worrying head injury to centre half Ryan Damms which led to him being carted away in the back of an ambulance.

Just when it looked as though the game would go in to the half time interval without the deadlock being broken, a moment of sheer brilliance put Wulfs ahead in stoppage time.

Liam Evans intercepted a pass and fed forward to Ricky Anslow who cut inside his marker and curled a 25 yard shot into the top corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.

This goal should have given Wulfs the impetus to come out for the second half and play a bit more football but this failed to materialise and they had to wait until the 63rd minute for their next effort at goal.

Again it was Ricky Anslow who slipped past a limping centre half but dragged his left foot shot wide of the post.

The lead was doubled in the 66th minute to deliver a killer blow to the home side.

Ricky Anslow danced down the left wing and then along the byline before cutting back to substitute Robin Sheffield who saw his shot expertly blocked but fortunately Andy Mitchell was on hand to pick up the loose ball and fire a shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the area.

It was almost 3 - 0 six minutes later as Wulfs hit Bustleholme on the break with Ricky Anslow playing a ball over the top to Chip Southern who hit a first time drive which cannoned off the outside of the near post.

In the end two goals were enough to put Wulfs through to the quarter finals and a trip to Cadbury Athletic.