Robin Hood 3 Wolves 1

Robin Hood pulled off the first significant upset of this season’s FA Challenge Cup, coming from behind to eliminate First Division Wolves at Police Field on Sunday.

Hood head coach Matthew Madeiros was pleased with his side’s display.

“This is our first real test in the FA Cup and I am really pleased with our performance,” he said.

“We came prepared and fit, and we dug deep. We executed what we practised in training.”

Madeiros has lofty ambitions for Hood in this competition.

“We are winning the FA Cup,” he said. “Whatever Premier Division team we are drawn against, we will become the first Carlsberg team to win the cup.”

Wolves started off with the more cohesive attack, despite Robin Hood holding a threat on the counter attack. They would eventually penetrate a well organised Hood defence from a more direct ball into the final third, which striker Antonio Wade flicked on and First Division leading scorer Khari Sharrieff-Hayward took one touch before firing into the bottom right corner past Hood goalkeeper Aaron Brown.

Robin Hood slowly grew into the game and started to find their feet in the final third, with Aidan Shepard and William Jackson the two key cogs to anything positive they mustered going forward.

The black and gold did have two golden chances to double their lead before half time. First, Sharrieff-Hayward whipped a lovely ball into the back post after a corner was recycled, but Tariq Bean could not direct his effort on target from a tough angle. Then young midfielder Brayton Browne tried his luck with a powerful and dipping strike from 25 yards, but his namesake and Hood keeper Aaron palmed it over.

Hood fashioned their first big chance of equalising three minutes before the break, with Shepard the key protagonist in the move. He drove to the left goalline to pull back for Donal Carey, but the forward’s effort was blocked by the Wolves defence.

Robin Hood turned the game around within two minutes in the second half. Jackson swung a cross towards Niall Kilroy in the middle, but Wolves defender Antoine Brangman got his body shape totally wrong and headed into his own net.

A minute later and the turnaround was complete as Shepard found Kilroy from a cross on the right and his header was crisp, with Wolves keeper Ethan Adderley unable to keep it out.

Wolves tried to wrestle momentum back just before the hour when Marcus Allers showed quick feet to beat a few Hood defenders, pulling back for Sharrieff-Hayward to fire at goal, but Brown clung on to keep the Carlsberg League side in front.

Hood extended their lead midway through the half, when Jackson found Carey in space on the right channel, and he side-footed past Adderley.

Wolves talisman Sharrieff-Hayward tried to take things on himself in the final moments, but Hood keeper Brown smothered when the key man approached the six-yard box.

Hood substitute Jody Ogle was sent off for a second bookable offence nine minutes from time, but his side held firm and defended well.

Goals

Robin Hood: A Brangman og 48, Kilroy 49, Carey 63

Wolves: Sharrieff-Hayward 13

Teams

Robin Hood: A Brown, A Hanley, J Carolan, W Jackson, A Parsons, J Cox, D Carey, C McCarthy, N Kilroy, A Shepard, P Taylor. Substitutes: P Egan, J Ogle, P Farrow, K Nefdt, M Madeiros

Wolves: E Adderley, T Bean, D Botelho, K Brangman, A Brangman, B Browne, A Francis, C Goater, S Richardson, K Sharrieff-Hayward, A Wade. Substitutes: M Allers, T Davis, R Ford II, M Madeira Carreiro, M Ming, T Outerbridge, J Smith.

Referee: A Francis.