Wolves 3 MK Dons 0 (FA Youth Cup) - Report
Two goals from Nico Carnat helped Wolves advance to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup with a 3-0 win against MK Dons at Molineux tonight.
Niall Ennis grabbed a third with almost the last kick of the game to cap a comprehensive victory for the youngsters in front of the watching Kenny Jackett.
Ennis, Bright Enobakhare and Connor Ronan stepped down from the under-21 squad to feature for Jerry Gill's side, who fully deserved their victory and could have won by far more than the three-goal margin.
Scottish winger Daniel Armstrong, recently signed from Hamilton Academical, had the game's first shot, firing at Dons keeper Andrew McCorkell from Nico Carnat's low ball from the left.
Enobakhare, who of course has played in Wolves' first team and caused controversy recently by going AWOL, constantly looked to run at the MK Dons defence, using his superior strength and power to great effect.
One such jinking run ended with a decent effort at goal which McCorkell did well to block.
Keeper Rhys Bills was being kept fairly quiet, although when called upon he made good saves from Callum Brittain and Samuel Nombe.
Ronan, who impressed during the first team's pre-season campaign, then let fly with a 25-yard thunderbolt that clipped the top of the bar.
An Armstrong free kick was parried by McCorkell towards Enobakhare but the ball hit him and bobbled wide as Wolves went close yet again.
Emobakhare was taking players on at will and he slalomed into the box before hit shot was deflected just wide.
There was some deeply impressive football being played by the home side, who passed it on the floor at pace and looked to take players on as often as they could.
As well as Jackett, assistant boss Joe Gallen, under-21 manager Scott Sellars and goalkeeping coach Pat Mountain were in attendance, as well as first-team players Dominic Iorfa, Kortney Hause and Jordan Graham, MK Dons boss Karl Robinson and former Wolves and Dons midfielder Keith Andrews.
Gill's team finally broke the deadlock a minute into the second half when a right wing cross was met with a stooping back-post header by Romanian teenager Carnat.
And five minutes later he doubled the lead – an Ennis cross was played back inside by Enobakhare and Carnat couldn't miss from a yard out.
Thereafter Wolves were in total control. The impressive Ennis, who recently agreed a three-year deal with the club to fend off interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, found the net with an excellent finish, but was flagged offside.
With 20 minutes left double goalscorer Carnat was replaced by Christian Herc.
And soon after Ronan again tried one from distance, with his effort deflected not too far over.
The Irishman's resulting corner then flashed across goal as an opportunity to put the tie beyond doubt went begging.
It was all Wolves and Ennis held off his man to whistle a shot across the face of goal and wide.
Herc broke brilliantly from midfield and exchanged passes with Armstrong before the Scot slotted agonisingly wide from 12 yards. Armstrong then went close again late on, cutting inside and forcing McCorkell to save low at full stretch.
And the third goal that Wolves' – and Ennis's – play merited came in injury time when he took a touch and lashed into the roof of the net to secure their passage into the fourth round.
Wolves (4-2-3-1): Bills; Ball, Johnson, Leak, Levingston (Osbourne, 88); Finnie, Ronan; Armstrong (Delacoe, 90), Enobakhare, Carnat (Herc, 70); Ennis. Subs: Beasley, Allan.
Attendance: 381