[NoSkillz]

Sat. February 3, 2024

FA Cup - 4th Round
Wolves (16th in Premier League) vs. Dover (1st in Premier League)
Molineux, Wolverhampton, UK

Betting Odds: Wolves: 9-2 Draw: 13-5 Dover: 1-2 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 9W 3D 1L

We’ve played Wolverhampton quite a bit in the last couple of years, with three cup games last year and now an FA Cup tie this year, in addition to our league matches. We’re obviously quite familiar with each other by now. Guy Luckett continues to be their top scorer, with 11 on the year in 25 matches. They are on an extended run of poor form, with only one win from their last ten matches. Meanwhile, we are undefeated in our last 21 and will set a new team record if we win or draw today.

We will start a full strength lineup today. Everyone is healthy and happy here!

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, N. Cairney, Jose, G. Bolis
S - P. Moses, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, A. Rocca, G. Fanfoni, G. Allan, Z. Bardi, S. Andrea

Wolves are in a flat 4-4-2 with Luckett and Stefano Zeno up front. Wayne Hennessey is in goal. I tell the team it’s a winnable game in the pre-game talk.

1’ - We hold possession off the opening kick off and a Jose through ball is to Chiquinho, who immediately rifles the ball past Hennessey and IN! WOW! But wait…it’s OFFSIDES! The replay confirms it. NO GOAL.

9’ - Tim van der Laan plays a give and go with striker Stefano Zeno and it’s Zeno getting in on goal. His shot is past Wilke and IN! Well alrighty then! WOLVES GOAL 0-1

19’ - We’re just pouring on pressure and a brilliant Jose pass is through the box into Gianluca Bolis. He’s in on Hennessey and the Wolves keeper makes the save. There’s a rebound though and it’s right to Chiquinho and he makes no mistake putting it into the empty net for the equalizer! DOVER GOAL 1-1

33’ - We have a free kick from almost near half and Jose sends a wicked cross into the area and there is an unmarked Arsene Bamba heading it past Hennessey and into the net! That’s Bamba’s 10th of the year already! DOVER GOAL 2-1

34’ - Moses with a great through ball to Neil Cairney (!) and he is in on goal but Hennessey makes a spectacular diving stop.

35’ - Jose with a corner kick and his cross is to the near post and Rayane Hamon heads it into the net! It’s over already! DOVER GOAL 3-1

39’ - Chiquinho with a pass up to Moses and he’s dribbling toward the penalty area but the ball is tackled away by a Wolves defender. The ball is loose and Chiquinho gets there first and rifles it on the first touch past a stunned Hennessey and we are simply ROLLING! DOVER GOAL 4-1

41’ - Gianluca Bolis with a yellow card.

45’ - Jose with a shot from just outside the area and he lashes is off the crossbar!

45’+1 - You could sense another one coming and here it is, as Renato Gaucho sends a long ball up field and Moses gets there. Hennessey charges out at him and Moses curls one past the Wolves keeper and it JUST deflects in off the far post! Moses gets his first goal in three games and we continue to pour it on! DOVER GOAL 5-1

45’+2 - Neil Cairney with a yellow card.

HALFTIME - 57% possession in our favour and a 18-4 (9-1 on target) shot advantage. They had one opportunity and capitalized but it truly has been all Dover today. Beautiful performance.

48’ - We have possession and it’s Jose feeding a ball into the box. Moses gets there first but has a defender and Hennessey between him and the net but just taps a left footed shot that seems to befuddle the Wolves keeper and it’s in. This is almost laughable now. DOVER GOAL 6-1

52’ - A Wolves player gives the ball away and Gianluca Bolis storms down the right wing. It’s like we’re playing a peewee team today, as Bolis crosses in and there is NO ONE marking Moses. He moves the ball to his left foot, away from Hennessey and just taps it into the empty net for his hat trick. Unbelievable. DOVER GOAL 7-1

63’ - We pull out hat trick man Moses along with the superb Jose and bring in Graham Allan and Gian Marco Fanfoni.

69’ - Wolves with a corner and the header from the near post is saved nicely by a well-positioned Ingo Wilke.

72’ - Rafinha is in for Arsene Bamba.

88’ - Cairney with a BULLET that is punched out by Hennessey and right out to Fanfoni and his volley crashes off the woodwork!

Wow.

Wolves 1 - 7 Dover
Goals - Paul Moses 3 (9.6), Chiquinho 2 (9.4), Arsene Bamba (8.7), Rayane Hamon (9.2)
Assists - Jose 3 (9.3), Gianluca Bolis 2 (9.0), Renato Gaucho (8.9)
Man of the Match - Paul Moses
Other Dover Notables - Ingo Wilke (7.1), Salim Loucif (8.1), Claudio Contreras (8.2), Neil Cairney (8.1)
Attendance - 15,470

We held 57% of possession and a 34-9 (12-3 on target) shot advantage. Our dominance is getting almost ridiculous now. Jose with three more assists and we’re just scoring at will it seems. Long may it continue!

-- We earn £92,000 for the win.

-- Paul Moses moves into the Dover record books, as his hat trick gives him a whopping 34 goals on the season, breaking the team record set only last year by Chiquinho. Oh yeah, we have over three months of football left! Can he hit FIFTY?!?! Moses is putting up Enrique-type numbers this year!



Dover U18 Update

-- The U18’s win 4-1 over Hampton & Richmond, with Matthew Neil scoring twice and Sean Woolley and Pete Smith added singles.



Coach Poaching

-- One of my best coaches was offered a promotion by Birmingham but he ended up staying with us after we offered him a contract extension with a nice wage increase.



FA Cup - 5th Round Draw

-- We nail down a home match against Sunderland in the 5th round, a decent draw. The match will take place in three weeks.



Premier League Update

-- We have a couple of shocking results in Tuesday action, as Arsenal defeat Manchester City 2-0 and Sunderland STUN Chelsea 2-1 to end their 13 game winning streak! Huge!



Next Up

-- We’re back in action in Premier League play, as we head on the road to face mid-table Huddersfield.