FA Cup: Wolves 0 Swansea City 0 – Report and pictures

Morgan Gibbs-White and Bright Enobakhare went close for Wolves, while Martin Olsson's free kick was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Will Norris.

Ruben Vinagre saw red just before half time for a strong challenge on Nathan Dyer but on 67 minutes it was 10 versus 10 after Leroy Fer was harshly sent off for fouling Helder Costa.

New signing Rafa Mir made a late debut but he couldn't break the deadlock and the teams will play a replay in Wales next week.

Analysis

An entertaining game with plenty of chances, controversy, two red cards and a new debutant...but ultimately the result that neither side wanted.

It was 21st v 20th in the league pyramid and there was nothing to separate Wolves and Swansea, writes Tim Spiers at Molineux.

Referee Anthony Taylor did his best to keep it as even as possible too, taking centre stage by showing two red cards, the second of which for Swansea's Leroy Fer seemed utterly bizarre. Ruben Vinagre had gone just before half time for an over-zealous foul on Nathan Dyer. Again, on first glance it seemed harsh.

That aside there were good opportunities for both teams but reserve keepers Will Norris and Kristoffer Nordfeldt both played well and there was some lacklustre finishing on show in what was an entertaining FA Cup encounter.

Norris' clean sheet extended his run of not having conceded a goal for Wolves, which now stretches at five appearances.

That was one of a few positives for Wolves here, with the first half performance of Morgan Gibbs-White being another before he was sacrificed after the Vinagre red.

Elsewhere Helder Costa was bright and breezy at the start and end of proceedings, while new boy Rafa Mir made a big impact from the bench, going close on two occasions to writing his own script with a debut winner.

Again, then, Wolves have proved more than a match for Premier League opposition, after previously holding Manchester City and beating Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

A replay may be undesirable but they will fancy their chances of finishing the job in Wales next week. Their fringe players are proving more than capable.

Match report

Nuno made six changes from the team that had beaten Brentford 3-0 on Tuesday. In came Will Norris, Kortney Hause, Alfred N'Diaye, Morgan Gibbs-White, Ruben Vinagre and Bright Enobakhare.

Hause was making his first league start of the season, while under-17 World Cup winner Gibbs-white made his first appearance of any kind in the campaign. There was no Jack Price in the squad, but new signing Rafa Mir was named on the bench.

Swansea named a strong side featuring Wilfried Bony, Leroy Fer and Renato Sanches.

But it was Championship leaders Wolves who made by far the better start, taking the game to their Premier League opponents in the opening stages.

The wing backs were overloading down the flanks, Helder Costa and Enobakhare looked lively and Leo Bonatini was linking the play nicely.

Chiefly though Gibbs-White was seriously impressing in the 'Neves' role. Confident and assured, the youngster was constantly demanding the ball, getting his head up and moving play on.

He did so with a gorgeous chip in the opening minutes to find Costa, who drove dangerously across goal.

The teenager was then presented with a glorious opportunity to score his first senior goal when Bonatini played him in, but on his left foot Gibbs-White shot too close to the keeper.

Wolves were well on top with N'Diaye regularly winning the ball back in midfield. They were full of confidence while Swansea looked like a struggling team short on ideas.

Portuguese star Renato Sanches fired a dreadful efforts into the stands, much to the joy of the South Bank who labelled him a "rubbish" Ruben Neves. Sanches actually injured himself in the process and had to be replaced.

Wolves continued to press – Enobakhare had a great chance to break the deadlock but crashed wide from 10 yards after N'Diaye's header was blocked.

And then the Swans began to get a foothold in the game, chiefly through set pieces. Norris remained untested but then seven minutes before half time produced a quite stunning save to tip Martin Olsson's free kick onto the bar, although bizarrely the referee gave a goal kick.

Anthony Taylor was the man in the middle and two minutes later he made what most of Molineux thought was another bizarre decision which changed the game. Wing back Vinagre went in hard on Nathan Dyer but there was shock when Taylor whipped out a red card. The youngster was undoubtedly over-zealous but there seemed to be no malice involved. Nuno and the home fans voiced their displeasure.

Barry Douglas was called for, replacing the desperately unfortunate Gibbs-White, and that was half time.

Wolves' formation was now quite fluid but essentially a 3-3-3, with N'Diaye on his own in central midfield and Enobakhare and Costa a little deeper in support of Bonatini.

With Nuno's team doing anything but sit back despite their man disadvantage the game began to open up. Enobakhare shot wide from range, ignoring Costa's run, and Douglas fired a free kick into the wall.

At the other end Norris, enjoying another fine game for the club, was twice called into action to deny Bony and Olsson as he looked to extend his record of having not conceded a goal for Wolves.

A replay was the last thing Nuno wanted and he made an attacking change with Ivan Cavaleiro – who had produced game-changing cameos in successive sub appearances against Bristol City and Brentford, replacing Enobakhare just past the hour.

Then came two pivotal moments in the space of a minute. First Bony mis-kicked a free shot from 10 yards with arguably the chance of the game. Then referee Taylor was at it again with his strangest decision of the match. Leroy Fer tripped Costa as Wolves tried to break – it looked a yellow card all day long but Fer was oddly sent off with Taylor surely looking to even things up.

Swansea began to sit deeper and the game went quiet, so Nuno called for new signing Mir with Bonatini replaced 13 minutes from time.

And the final stages were all about the new boy, who sent a deflected shot just wide, headed dangerously towards the top corner and then sent another header inches past the post although he was flagged offside.

Swansea were the ones pressing in stoppage time but Carroll shot too close to Norris with the final chance of the game.

Key moments

12 – Leo Bonatini threads a pass through the defence for Morgan Gibbs-White – he's in on goal but shoots too close to the keeper with his left foot.

31 – Bright Enobakhare fires wide from a great position.

38 – Superb save from Will Norris to tip a Martin Olsson free kick onto the bar.

40 – RED CARD – Ruben Vinagre is sent off for a foul on Nathan Dyer.

67 – RED CARD – Leroy Fer trips Costa and is shown a straight red card.

Line ups

Wolves (3-4-3): Norris; Bennett, Coady (c), Hause; Doherty, N'Diaye, Gibbs-White (Douglas, 45), Vinagre; Costa, Bonatini (Mir, 77), Enobakhare (Cavaleiro, 64). Subs: Burgoyne, Miranda, Rasmussen, Goncalves.

Red card: Vinagre (40)

Swansea (5-4-1): Nordfeldt; Roberts, Bartley, Fernandez (c) (Ayew, 56), Van der Hoorn, Olsson; Dyer, Sanches (Carroll, 34), Fer, Routledge; Bony (Mesa, 74). Subs: Mulder, Fulton, Narsingh, McBurnie.

Red card: Fer (67)

Attendance: 22,976 (1,234 Swansea fans)

Referee: Anthony Taylor