Wolves were booed off after being deservedly knocked out of the FA Cup third
round by First Division rivals Gillingham at a rain-lashed Molineux.
A tremendous 52nd-minute goal by Paul Shaw saw the visitors through and the
winning margin would have been greater but for three fine saves by home keeper
Michael Oakes.
Dave Jones' promotion-chasers did not manage a single on-target effort in the
first half despite having plenty of possession and they improved only marginally
in the second period.
Gillingham are only in mid-table with no real promotion aspirations and they
seem to have a greater appetite for the contest, as shown by their celebrations
at the final whistle.
In front of a crowd of just over 15,000, Wolves had most of the early play
without seriously looking like breaking through.
When Gillingham replied, they immediately looked more dangerous and Marlon
King brought a fine save from Oakes' legs from a one-on-one chance set up by
Marcus Browning.
Wolves were forced into a substitution 29 minutes into a dull first half when
striker Nathan Blake was replaced by the fit-again Kenny Miller following a
clash of heads with Chris Hope.
But Shaw curled a shot narrowly wide from the corner of the area and King
demanded another flying stop from Oakes, who also had to dive on a headed
back-pass by Mohamed Camara.
The winning goal that made it a miserable 50th match in charge for Jones came
following a 52nd-minute corner on the left by David Perpetuini.
Wolves only half cleared and Shaw struck with a tremendous 25-yard shot which
flew past the diving Oakes.
The equaliser might have come four minutes later when Alex Rae netted after
former Wolves keeper Vince Bartram had saved superbly from Colin Cameron.
But a linesman's flag cut short the former Sunderland midfielder's
celebrations.
Hope headed narrowly wide as Gillingham chased a second goal while Paul Butler
twice and Dean Sturridge were narrowly off-target at the other end.
But Wolves could have no complaints at suffering their sixth home defeat of
the season.
Teams:
Wolverhampton: Oakes, Muscat (Roussel 67), Butler, Pollet,
Camara, Newton, Rae, Cameron, Kennedy, Blake (Miller 30),
Sturridge.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Naylor, Murray.
Booked: Newton.
Gillingham: Bartram, Nosworthy, Hope, Ashby, Browning,
Perpetuini, Smith, Osborn, King, Onuora (Ipoua 78),
Shaw (Gooden 75).
Subs Not Used: Patterson, Butters, Saunders.
Goals: Shaw 53.
Att: 15,271
Ref: M Jones (Chester).
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