Express & Star

Matt Maher: Wolves need to seize their chance – they can prove all too fleeting

Days like tomorrow really don’t come around very often.

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Gary O’Neil has the chance of turning an impressive season into something unforgettable for Wolves (Getty)

For only the second time in 20 years, Wolves are playing in an FA Cup quarter-final.

The previous occasion, in 2019, they went in as underdogs against Manchester United but emerged triumphant on one of the most memorable Molineux nights in recent history.

This time it will be different. It’s a lunchtime kick-off, for one, while not even that series of injuries to Gary O’Neil’s forward line can alter the fact his team are favourites to progress past Coventry.

Defeat, much as it would sting, would not detract from the fact Wolves have enjoyed a far more impressive season than many imagined. They are still in a strong position to challenge for a return to European football through the league over the campaign’s closing two months.

Yet the Cup offers the chance to do something truly special. A win tomorrow would, at the very least, set up an all too rare day out at Wembley for 30,000-plus supporters and from there, who knows?

Sure, there’s every chance of facing a big-hitter. On the flip side there is no team in the competition who would particularly relish playing O’Neil’s side. Coventry will be no pushovers but as opportunities to reach semi-finals go, few come more inviting than a home tie against lower division opposition.