Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Gillingham. Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
MolineuxAttendance26,943.
Match report and highlights as Wolves beat Gillingham 2-0 in Carabao Cup to secure place in quarter-finals; League Two side held out until 77th minute, when Raul Jimenez slotted home penalty; Rayan Ait-Nouri rounded off win in stoppage time in Julen Lopetegui's first game in charge
Tuesday 20 December 2022 23:08, UK
Julen Lopetegui guided Wolves to a 2-0 victory over a stubborn Gillingham side and a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first match in charge.
The former Real Madrid, Spain and Sevilla boss was appointed over a month ago but had to wait until after the World Cup break to see his side in action.
It was ultimately worth the wait for Lopetegui, but he was made to sweat by a Gillingham side that held out for 77 minutes, until Cheye Alexander hauled down Hwang Hee-Chan in the area, allowing Raul Jimenez to roll home just his second goal of the season from the penalty spot.
Wolves then sealed the win in stoppage time, with Hwang pulling the ball back for fellow substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri to stab a finish past goalkeeper Jake Turner to finally finish off the League Two side.
Lopetegui has taken over the only Premier League side whose goals-scored total remains in single figures, and the majority of their game against Gillingham showed the new manager why his squad struggle so much to find the net.
Wolves racked up 80 per cent of the possession against the EFL's bottom-ranked side but failed to test Turner during the first half. It wasn't that the Premier League club failed to create chances - it was that they showed their familiar habit of failing to take them.
Joe Hodge and Daniel Podence saw close-range efforts blocked by desperate Gillingham defenders as Wolves stepped up their efforts towards the end of a tepid first half, with Hodge then wasting a brilliant chance from Goncalo Guedes' excellent cross.
Ruben Neves then cracked a shot against the post from the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time, with the midfielder looking as if he didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he trudged down the Molineux tunnel at the break.
Lopetegui rang the changes in the second half and it was substitutes Jimenez and Hwang who made the crucial difference.
After Diego Costa had flashed a volley wide and Turner had denied Nelson Semedo at the back post, Hwang won a penalty when he was dragged back by Alexander as he tried to turn a loose ball from a corner goalwards.
Jimenez coolly slotted the ball past Turner in his first club appearance since August, before Hwang set up Ait-Nouri to seal a valuable win for Wolves ahead of their crucial clash against fellow strugglers Everton on Boxing Day.
Julen Lopetegui hailed his first game as Wolves manager as "a special day" but admitted there will be tougher challenges ahead in the wake of their win over Gillingham.
"For me, it is a very special day and, of course, I am very happy," said Lopetegui. "But above all, it is for the team because we wanted to be in the next round.
"We tried to show a lot of the things we have worked on in the last weeks but these kind of matches are difficult against teams that don't have anything to lose. We worked with good concentration and focus and in the end we are very happy.
"Now we have to look forward to the next matches. We have a hard task ahead but we have to be ready for it. We have a lot of things to improve."
Neil Harris said he was "proud" of his Gillingham players for their resolute display, particularly as his squad was hit by a flu bug this week.
The manager - who has been suffering with the illness - revealed he drove himself to Molineux to avoid passing it onto his players.
"I'm proud of my players," Harris said. "It's been a tough 48 hours for us. We've got a problem in the camp, as you can tell by my voice. That's why we only had four (outfield) subs tonight.
"We dug in. The game went as we expected and we were forced into a back five, or even back six, at times.
"They had the ball but we forced them around us with our disciplined shape. They found it difficult to break us down and to lose the first goal as we did was frustrating. It was a very close call.
"But on the balance of play, you can't deny Wolves deserved to win the game."
Wolves resume their Premier League campaign with a Boxing Day trip to Everton; kick-off 3pm.
Gillingham are also in action on Boxing Day as they host Colchester in League Two; kick-off 3pm.
