Bristol City 0 Wolves 1 – Report and pictures

Cavaleiro gave Wolves the lead on 28 minutes when he netted from Matt Doherty's cut-back.

Doherty hit the post shortly after but it was the hosts who dominated the second half, creating a number of chances.

Joao Moutinho and substitute Morgan Gibbs-White went close to doubling Wolves' lead before Nuno's team withstood late pressure to see it through,.

Analysis

Two trips to Ashton Gate in 14 months...two potential season-defining wins.

This one had less of the drama of January 30, 2017, but it may carry just as much importance, writes Tim Spiers at Ashton Gate.

Nuno Espirito Santo's team are now just two victories away from reaching their first FA Cup final for 59 years. And with the likes of Brighton, Millwall and Swansea/Brentford in the hat for the quarter final, if Monday's draw is kind they'll fancy their chances of doing just that.

Wolves produced a fabulous performance in beating Liverpool and were reliant on late drama in edging past Shrewsbury via a replay. At Ashton Gate they were professional in the first half and then needed a solid rearguard after the break as they withstood some serious Bristol City pressure.

It wasn't particularly pretty but it was effective. There were some crucial blocks and clearances and, after making a couple of glaring mistakes in the fourth round, John Ruddy was solid between the sticks.

It was the proverbial game of two halves. Nuno's boys were in control in the first half, utilising their textbook Conor Coady to Matt Doherty tactic to great effect including for the winning goal, expertly despatched by Ivan Cavaleiro for his fifth in 21 games this season. Considering 13 of those appearances have come from the bench it's an impressive return.

The final seconds were harem scarem stuff as City through everything they had at Ruddy's goal. But Wolves saw it through. There are many strings to their bow – and resilience is certainly one of them.

They'll need all of their qualities if they're to make this a famous FA Cup run. But with the draw having opened up and with Nuno very much taking the competition seriously, if they can avoid Manchester City you'd back them to keep progressing. And what a tantalising prospect that is.

Match report

Nuno made three changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Newcastle on Monday. John Ruddy continued as cup keeper with Rui Patricio not in the squad, while Diogo Jota wasn't risked and Ruben Neves was left on the bench. In came Romain Saiss and Ivan Cavaleiro, who started alongside Raul Jimenez.

Bristol City boss Lee Johnson made five changes with ex-Wolves loanee Andi Weimann and Jamie Paterson among those dropping out.

The hosts came into the game on a phenomenal run of nine consecutive victories, as well as 15 unbeaten in all competitions, with their last home defeat coming in November.

However you wouldn't have guessed those stats judging on the first half, which was controlled by Wolves with minimal fuss.

There actually wasn't a single shot from either team in the first 20 minutes but it wasn't exactly dull, with both sides looking to get a foothold in the game and Wolves mostly playing the better stuff.

Matt Doherty was being afforded plenty of space down the right flank and that was Wolves' main outlet with Conor Coady finding his new contract partner on numerous occasions.

They took a deserved lead on 28 minutes and it was that Coady-Doherty link-up that paid dividends. After a patient build-up of several passes the wing-back took Coady's pass, showed persistence to get beyond his man and pulled back a perfect pass for Cavaleiro who coolly finished with his right foot from 12 yards.

Shortly afterwards it was nearly 2-0. That man Doherty was again at the heart of it, playing a delightful one-two with Raul Jimenez with the Mexican flicking a return pass inside the box where Doherty, via a deflection, smacked a shot off the inside of the post.

Confident Wolves were purring now and they carved the Robins open again when Ryan Bennett played forward to Jimenez – he turned a perfect pass to the onrushing Leander Dendoncker whose first-time shot was pushed wide by Frank Fielding.

Set pieces were again a threat for Wolves. Joao Moutinho's clipped free-kick found the run of Willy Boly, whose header dropped not far wide.

The hosts had a couple of decent chances when Callum O'Dowda and Kasey Palmer got on to the end of crosses, but neither found the target and Bristol City didn't test Ruddy all half.

It was comfortable for Nuno's men, but you suspected the Robins couldn't be much worse in the second half.

The home side were sent out several minutes early at the end of the break and made a double change with Matty Taylor and Marlon Pack sent on.

Sure enough, there was a big improvement from Johnson's team who tested Wolves via a series of corners and crosses. O'Dowda twice got in behind Jonny Castro Otto and on the second occasion picked out Jay Dasilva for a free shot from 18 yards, which fortunately for Wolves was ballooned over. It was a let off.

The first 25 minutes of the second half were almost all Bristol City's but time and again they failed to test Ruddy, with Adam Webster and Palmer unable to keep their efforts on target.

Then the keeper had to be alert to block from Taylor's shot after great work from Josh Brownhill, before Ruddy dived to block Pack's long-range effort.

Wolves just couldn't make it stick up top. They were being pegged back in their own half and the hosts were dominating possession, albeit without stretching Wolves too hard. Nuno replaced goalsco

There was respite at the other end when Jimenez won a free-kick 25-yards out and Moutinho came close to doubling Wolves' lead with a superb curling effort which Fielding tipped over.

But it was back to normal within a couple of minutes as the hosts re-took the initiative. Doherty had to clear a shot just ahead of the goal-line and then Pack put an 18-yard effort too close to Ruddy as the pressure was ramped up again.

And on-the-ropes Wolves suffered a blow with 10 minutes left when Doherty hobbled off injured. Neves replaces him with Bennett going to right wing-back and Saiss dropping in at centre half.

Nuno's team were still looking for opportunities on the break and they created a superb one when Jimenez slipped in Gibbs-White, but Fielding saved his left-footed effort and from the resulting corner Boly fired over.

Back came Bristol City and their stream of attack. There were just three minutes left on the clock when Ruddy brilliantly tipped Taylor's looping header over the bar and then Pack somehow bundled over from close range from a corner.

In five minutes of stoppage time the kitchen sink was thrown at Ruddy's goal. Keeper Fielding came up for a corner and even had a shot at goal, but Ruddy and Moutinho made crucial blocks as Wolves saw it through and reached the quarter finals.

Key moments

28 - GOOOALLLL!! Nuno's side are in front! Coady plays a fantastic diagonal pass over to the unmarked Doherty. The Irish wing-back gets to the byline and cuts it back to Cavaleiro, who coolly slots home from near the penalty spot.

30 - Doherty goes so close to making it 2-0 to Wolves. He plays a one-two with Jimenez and sees his right-footed strike clip the outside of the post and fly wide, much to City keeper Fielding's relief.

68 - City nearly grab a leveller after some stellar work by Brownhill. He weaves his way past Otto with some fancy footwork and drills the ball across the box. Taylor gets a toe on it, and Ruddy is able to keep it out.

88 - A glorious opportunity goes begging for the Robins. Ruddy tips over Taylor's looping header. From the resulting corner, the ball travels through several bodies to the far post, where Pack, somehow, blazes it way off target.

Teams

Bristol City (4-5-1): Fielding; Wright (c), Kalas, Webster, Dasilva; Eliasson (Taylor, 46), Brownhill, Morrell (Pack, 46), Palmer (Paterson, 66), O'Dowda; Diedhiou

Subs not used: O'Leary (gk), Baker, Kelly, Watkins

Wolves (3-5-2): Ruddy; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty (Neves, 81), Dendoncker, Saiss, Moutinho, Otto; Jimenez (Traore, 90+2), Cavaleiro (Gibbs-White, 70)

Subs not used: Norris (gk), Vinagre, Costa, Ennis

Goal: Cavaleiro (28)

Attendance: 24,394 (3,407)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Next up

It's back to league action next Saturday when Wolves travel to Bournemouth, kick off 3pm.