Wolves 1

Boulevard 2

It was inevitable that an FA Cup replay that came about through goalkeeping error would eventually be decided by one.

Jahhi Shakir, the Wolves goalkeeper, made several fine saves against Boulevard to keep his team in the game last night, and he will not be remembered for any of them. Rather it is the complete mess he made of Dunn-Ya Taylor’s corner that was the defining moment of an often scrappy encounter.

The swirling wind played havoc with crosses all night, Taylor’s corner swung in viciously and Shakir, who stood rooted to his line, could only palm it into his own goal.

With 20 minutes still remaining Wolves had plenty of time to get back into the game, but their inability to string more than three passes together rendered them largely impotent as an attacking force.

When Kyle Brangman or Sergio Richardson did get free they often found themselves isolated and any move broke down before it had a chance to begin.

Boulevard struggled too, but created openings, and if not for Shakir’s performance in goal could well have won more comfortably.

The Wolves goalkeeper could do nothing about Boulevard’s first goal, however, a clinical finish from Ian Coke, who outmuscled Antoine Brangman and fired low past Shakir from just inside the area.

The visiting side should have killed the game off in the first half, but Shakir kept them at bay, denying Coke at his near post, and then producing a fine reflex save to stop a Jakio Williams header from point-blank range after the defender rose unmarked from a corner.

Wolves’ equaliser three minutes before half-time was entirely against the run of play, and down to another goalkeeping error, this one from Delgardo Pinto. The Boulevard goalkeeper fumbled a long-range free kick from Richardson and Brangman was on hand to tap it over the line.

The second half followed a similar pattern as the first, Boulevard continually threatened to score but the finishing touch was missing, and when it was not Shakir and his defenders were equal to the task.

Much like the first 45 minutes, Wolves’ opportunities were few and far between, and Brangman wasted the best of them, dithering over a shot when racing clear, and his indecision allowed Boulevard defenders to get back and clear the danger.

It would have been of little surprise had the game gone in to extra time, but Taylor’s corner decided matters, and Boulevard will now face Somerset Trojans in Sunday’s quarter-finals.