FA Cup: Wolves vs Chelsea - the day in PICTURES

Wolves were playing in front of the biggest home attendance since the club's 1981 FA Cup sixth round replay against Middlesbrough, with 30,193 watching on during the loss.

The defeat puts an end to a historic cup run which saw Paul Lambert's team get the better of Stoke and Liverpool before missing out to Chelsea.

Speaking after the game, 61 year old Wolves fan Dave Yates, from Claregate, said: "We didn't embarrass ourselves and the players did the club proud, it is a shame to go out but I think fitness and clinical finishing made the difference.

"We took the game to them and they played a strong side, hopefully we can use this as a positive to move forward but at the minute I have to say you wouldn't bet on Wolves."

The home draw against Chelsea was undoubtedly the biggest challenge available to Wolves and the glamour of the tie helped create a vibrant mood in the city before kick off.

Wolves fan Jack Boden, 28, originally from Ettingshall but currently living in Vancouver, saw the big draw as the perfect opportunity to bring his partner Shannon Grant, 24, to her first Wolves game.

Jack said: "I try and get to a game whenever I come back but when the draw was made I knew straight away that I had to bring Shannon to Wolves.

"It is a glamour tie but after the Liverpool game I thought we had a good chance.

"Following Wolves from Canada is difficult, I have to get up at 7am to watch the games but for today I just had to be here.

"We have a team in Vancouver but the atmosphere is nothing compared to this."

Fans were optimistic after the victory over Liverpool on January 28, while the word 'cupset' was already in the air after Lincoln beat Burnley earlier in the day.

Comedian Tom Parry, whose work with the Central Youth Theatre and comedy trio Pappy's has helped him make a name for himself across the country, said the cup run had given Wolves fans something to enjoy in a difficult season.

Tom, from Wombourne, said: "You have to dream don't you, we have seen so many times in the FA Cup that it isn't always the favourites who win.

"If Lincoln can beat Burnley and if we can beat Liverpool then I thought we could do it against Chelsea.

"It has been a tough season but this run has gave us something to look forward to, we have gone toe to toe with some big sides."

Players from the London club gave Wolves fans their time after the game to pose for selfies, sign autographs and speak to some of the younger fans who may not get to see players of their calibre again for a while.

Wayne Devaney, 54, from Wednesfield, said: "It is good to see the Chelsea players speak with Wolves fans and the young kids.

"They are excited to see them and that is why we had such a huge crowd today.

"I just hope the team looks at the games against Stoke, Liverpool and Chelsea and get that hunger to play in the Premiership next week.

"We have shown that we can compete so next season they need to make sure we are in the battle for promotion."

Wolves fan George O'Donnell, 22, from Weymouth, said after the game that the atmosphere was 'unbelievable' inside the ground and claimed the team were unlucky to lose.

He said: "If we would have buried our early chance it could have been a different story, but the fans didn't stop singing, straight after Chelsea took the lead we carried on, it was an unbelievable atmosphere."