Wolves 1 Aldershot 1 (7-6 on penalties)

Wolves took the wraps off the new £18m Stan Cullis Stand today – but there was little to cheer as they endured a typical struggle against lower league opposition in the League Cup.

Stale Solbakken's side looked distinctly undercooked and unconvincing as they made hard work of League Two Aldershot in the low-key curtain-raiser at Molineux, needing sudden death penalties after extra-time failed to separate the teams.

Carl Ikeme was Wolves' hero, saving substitute Jordan Roberts' spot kick diving low to his left to keep out his left foot shot.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Ward, Roger Johnson, Karl Henry, Frank Nouble and Anthony Forde were Wolves' penalty scorers while Josh Payne, Craig Reid, Michael Rankine, Alex Rodman, Ben Herd and Aaron Morris obliged for Aldershot.

Earlier, the crowd of 11,555 saw Ebanks-Blake's 53^rd-minute opener cancelled out by Rankine's header nine minutes later.

And, on a day when Matt Jarvis' summer-long wish to leave Molineux was made public – the winger missed out due to illness – home fans booed the extra-time appearance of another wantaway star, Christophe Berra.

Instead of the established stars, it was the turn of Wolves' homegrown cubs, David Davis and Anthony Forde to take centre stage and impress.

Forde's left-foot drive hit the base of the post from 22 yards as the pick of one of several Wolves efforts in extra-time.

That was one of the few efforts to beat Aldershot keeper Jamie Young, whose inspired performance made him the visitors' man of the match.

His and the game's first save of the game was forced more by accident than design, and it came when Ward's free kick 40 yards out carried all the way through, forcing Young into a falling save in the 12^th minute.

Forde was one of Wolves' the all too few highlights in the first half and he looked like the one man to break through a determined Aldershot rearguard.

It was Forde who crossed for Ebanks-Blake in the 15^th minute, but the striker couldn't quite connect again after his first touch ran the ball out of play.

The first serious save arrived at the other end, when Craig Reid's shot on the turn produced a flying save from Ikeme in the 23^rd minute.

Wolves continued to look the more likely side to score, and seconds later, the willing Kevin Doyle got the wrong side of Morris to latch onto Tongo Doumbia's pass only to send a rising shot into the new Stan Cullis Stand.

A great run by Doumbia took the Mali international clear of two Aldershot pursuers and he found Forde in space to his left, but Ebanks-Blake couldn't get on the end of an inviting cross from the youngster.

Johnson was booked for lunging in late on Adam Mekki and Doyle headed wide from Ebanks-Blake's cross before Richard Stearman saved Wolves' blushes when he made a fine tackle on Peter Vincenti after Reid's pass found him in space for a shot on 29.

But Davis wasted the best Wolves chance of the first period nine minutes before half-time when he fired wide at the far post after Ward had darted through two players on the left and crossed to Ebanks-Blake, who turned and squared to the young midfielder.

The game developed a higher tempo in the second half and Wolves were first to benefit when they took the lead with their first attack.

Ebanks-Blake superbly turned his marker inside the six-yard box and smashed home into the opposite corner of the net from Doumbia's cross to give the hosts the lead.

The goal boosted Wolves and Ronald Zubar sent a looping header over from Ward's corner on 57.

But the lead proved shortlived as Aldershot levelled when the unmarked Rankine powered home a header at the far post from Josh Payne's corner.

Wolves continued to probe the Aldershot goal and the impressive Davis saw a cross-shot palmed away by Young before Forde forced a falling save with a first-time effort from another Doumbia centre.

But Aldershot should have gone ahead in the 80^th minute when dangerman Rankine got away from Stearman from Anthony Tonkin's cross only to head well wide when he failed to get enough on the ball.

The Shots wasted another glorious chance in extra-time when substitute Alex Rodman curled over after beating Stearman far too easily when he cut in from the right in the 97^th minute.

From then on it was mainly all Wolves as the visitors tired, several of them suffering cramp at various times.

Clean-through Ebanks-Blake had Young blocking with his legs after Davis put him in on goal on 103 minutes.

And so it went to penalties, with Wolves finally prevailing 7-6 at the end.