Wolves and the League Cup have not been easy bedfellows since the dual winners last captured the trophy three decades ago.

So it was little surprise that the Molineux masses endured another long night before finally pipping the sort of lower division opposition they have succumbed to too often over the last 30 years.

Thankfully for Wolves, Richard Stearman’s dramatic late winner – timed at 121 minutes, 46 seconds – provided not only an escape route from the dreaded penalty shoot-out but avoided another upset.

There have been plenty since that glorious day at Wembley in 1980. In Mick McCarthy’s era alone, Wolves have been beaten by Morecambe, Chesterfield and Rotherham on penalties or in extra-time.

Thankfully, the never-say-die spirit and determination the manager has instilled in his Premier League team was mirrored by his current ‘shadow squad’ to ensure there was no sour exit this time – even if we were getting the matchsticks ready to prop open the eyelids when Stearman converted Ronald Zubar’s driven cross with virtually the last kick to celebrate captaining his home-town club for the first time.

McCarthy’s assessment, however, that Wolves didn’t deserve to win and Southend didn’t deserve to lose was difficult to disagree with.

But a win is a win and importantly, victory ensures Wolves go into Saturday’s clash against Newcastle unbeaten this season and with the added momentum of another victory under their belts.

And in the performances of debutants Danny Batth and Sam Winnall, as well as a hyper-active Zubar, who just edged Batth as man of the match, there was the encouragement and energy to see Wolves just get over the line.

Defensive kingpin Batth produced a solid, almost unblemished performance, while the tenacity of striker Winnall won the 27th minute-penalty converted by Nenad Milijas to put McCarthy’s side ahead.

But there could be few complaints at the headed equaliser scored by Shrimpers captain Craig Easton with 10 minutes left of normal time as the midfielder gained some revenge for being on the losing side with Swindon on the same ground at the same stage of the competition a year ago.

Indeed it was the visitors, 83 places below Wolves in the football ladder, who matched their Premier League hosts for effort and created as many chances.

Easton was first to threaten when he curled over from 25 yards before former Chelsea youngster Anthony Grant saw a fierce goalbound effort deflected too high.

Wolves experimented in attack and switched Ashley Hemmings from up front to wide left, swapping with Edwards midway through the first half. And, indirectly, the move paid dividends when Winnall scampered onto a slip by another debutant, the ultimately impressive French-Tunisian defender Bilel Mohsni, before being tripped by Chris Barker for the penalty converted confidently by Milijas.

The unmarked Mohsni should have atoned when he powered a bullet header wide from a free-kick from Peter Gilbert, the other debutant in Southend’s back four.

If the second half was a livelier affair, it was Southend who again threatened first when Barry Corr’s fierce, angled, drive drew a falling save from Wayne Hennessey.

Wolves gradually asserted themselves through the middle of the second period before Southend got their second wind. First Mohsni’s tackle foiled the clean-through Adlene Guedioura. Then Winnall almost capped an impressive debut when he volleyed just wide from Hemmings’ cross at the end of a flowing move started by Hennessey’s throw out to Greg Halford.

Zubar saw an angled effort smothered by Morris but Southend weren’t done and manager Paul Sturrock’s son, Blair, rattled the crossbar on 65 with Hennessey getting a faint touch.

And despite the arrival of big guns Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, it was Southend who showed their attacking prowess when they equalised with a moment of quality.

Simpson’s inviting cross from the right was met by Easton, who outjumped Edwards to head downwards past Hennessey. Within two minutes Ebanks-Blake saw the first of two efforts disallowed for offside when he stabbed home.

But Southend twice could have snatched victory in between Ebanks-Blake’s second disallowed effort for offside on 97 minutes after Milijas’ shot deflected off Barker and hit the post following Zubar’s cross.

First substitute Louie Soares could only poke straight at Hennessey a fraction before extra-time, then, with five minutes of the extra period left, Simpson sidefooted straight at the keeper from Soares’ pull-back after Batth unusually gave away possession.

But Wolves rode their luck to grab the winner and land a place in Saturday lunchtime’s third-round draw.

By Tim Nash.