Classic match report - Ipswich Town 1 Wolves 2, 1994

Considering they spent the decade trapped in the purgatory that is English football's second tier, Wolves' FA Cup record in the 1990s was pretty good.

Two quarter finals and a semi final represented an above-average return.

It compared favourably to the likes of Leeds United (two quarter-finals), Coventry (one QF) and Southampton (two QFs), top-flight regulars for the decade.

In March 1994 a run to the sixth round was a welcome distraction from Wolves' league woes.

Having beaten Crystal Palace and Port Vale, Premier League side Ipswich Town stood in their way in the fifth round.

A 1-1 home draw in front of a packed Molineux set up a replay at Portman Road for which the Suffolk side were certainly favourites, given Wolves' recent form.

[related_posts title="More classic match reports]

They'd won one of their last five league matches, lost a Black Country derby 2-1 at home to Albion five days earlier and their play-off hopes were fading by the week.

Wolves hadn't beaten top flight opposition in a cup match for 13 years. And Ipswich hadn't lost an FA Cup game at home to a team in a league below them since 1966.

But, as so often in the FA Cup, the form book was turned on its head. In front of the television cameras, goals from Lee Mills and Andy Thompson gave Graham Turner's team a memorable victory and put them in the quarter finals.

For Mills, playing because Steve Bull and Cyrille Regis were injured, it was a great rags-to-riches story. The 23-year-old had been plucked from non-league Stocksbridge a year or so earlier, when he was working at Barnsley Council as a rates officer.

More than 3,000 travelling fans loved every minute and were dreaming of Wembley.

As too was Billy Wright. Skip to the final whistle on the video above and you'll witness the childlike joy with which Wolves' ultimate hero celebrates victory.

"The lads are on top form, why not?" Wright said when asked if Wolves could win the cup. "We've got to aim for the top, aim for winning and get to Wembley, why shouldn't we?"

Sadly, Wolves wouldn't realise the dreams of Billy, of Sir Jack and their fans - they were knocked out 1-0 at Glenn Hoddle's Chelsea (who lost to Manchester United in the final) in the next round.

The Portman Road win was also Turner's last as Wolves' boss - in three weeks he was sacked and replaced by Graham Taylor.

And tragically, Wright passed away just six months later. He remains one of just four Wolves captains to lift the FA Cup.

March 2, 1994 - Ipswich Town 1 Wolves 2

Magnificent Wolves storm into last eight

By David Instone

Wolves last night gloriously added their name to this season's FA Cup roll of honour of surprises and brought Wembley's twin towers hovering tantalisingly into view.

With one of their best performances of the season, they put their recent league stutters behind them and lived up to their pre-match pledge to go and outplay Ipswich in their own backyard.

At times in the second half, it was backs-to-the-wall stuff,but few would deny a workaholic Wolves side their right to a place in the last eight and their share of the limelight in succession to First Division rivals Bolton, Bristol City, Charlton, Luton and Oxford.

It was a display to make the national satellite TV audience sit up and take notice and ensure watching Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle moved a little uneasily in his seat.

Wolves did everything Ipswich didn't doin the first meeting at Molineux 12 days ago - attack from the word go and light the fuse for an exciting tie that brought some remarkable landmarks: Wolves' first win over top-flight opposition in a major cup competition for 13 years.

Ipswich's first home FA Cup defeat against a side from a lower division since Southport beat them just before the staging of the 1966 World Cup.

Andy Thompson's first FA Cup goal for the club and his first away goal in any competition since December, 1990 - in his 300th Wolves appearance.

And the thought for 3,000 ecstatic Wolves followers that the last two clubs to beat Ipswich in the Cup, Liverpool and Arsenal, went on to triumph at Wembley!

Those riches are still up for grabs as far as Wolves are concerned, but the way they left Ipswich strewn among the wreckage of this crazy cup season, they won't lose much sleep over the prospect of a trip to Stamford Bridge a week on Sunday.

[comments_cta header="What are your memories of this classic match?" button="Log in and start commenting"]

It's doubtful whether Lee Mills will have the chance to make the impact with which he sent a shock-wave through East Anglia last night.

The 23-year-old former Barnsley Council rates officer, almost certainly a stop-gap choice between the impending unveiling of Guy Whittingham and the recent departure of Wolves' two injured former England strikers, had his third and best outing in the starting line-up.

His general play - running wide, holding the ball up and winning vital headers - was good, but the crowning glory was the eighth minute goal which signalled Wolves really meant business.

He lashed a left-foot shot into the roof of the net from ten yards following Geraint Williams' misplaced header, then watched from a packed area as Thompson's 25yd shot - the product of a well-rehearsed free-kick move with Darren Ferguson, Kevin Keen and Robbie Dennison - looped in off David Linighan for No2 six minutes before half-time.

Although Linighan had a header kicked off the line by Mark Rankine just before the break, two goals were the least Wolves deserved for some razor-sharp attacking that might also have put Dennison and the outstanding Mark Venus on the score-sheet.

But Ipswich blew the game open within a minute of the restart when an unusually poor header from Peter Shirtliff was slammed low past Mike Stowell by Steve Palmer from 15yd.

It seemed the signal for a sustained fightback and, for a while, it was. Ian Marshall hooked a shot straight at Stowell, Thompson escaped a borderline penalty area challenge on Mick Stockwell and Venus intervened brilliantly to halt Chris Kiwomya ten yards out.

But Wolves, back to their defensive best after Saturday's colly-wobbles against Albion, showed their character by weathering the storm and finishing very strongly.

Ipswich: Forrest; Stockwell, Wark, Linighan (c), Neil Thompson; Youds (Mason, 74), Williams (Guentchev, 80), Palmer, Slater; Marshall, Kiwomya.

Goal: Palmer (46)

Wolves: Stowell; Blades, Shirtliff (c), Venus; Rankine, Dennison, Keen, Ferguson (Cook, 80), Andy Thompson; Mills, Kelly. Subs: Jones, Mountfield.

Goals: Mills (8),Thompson (39)

Attendance: 19,385