Wolves 0-0 Coventry – FA Cup: Live score, team news and updates from a tightly-contested Midlands derby as the Sky Blues squander good chances to take the lead and silence Molineux

Finally! No clear and obvious error, with the VAR saying the handball was ‘inconclusive’.

Therefore, referee decision stands.

What a decision, with the possibility of far-reaching consequences. But Coventry have deserved to go ahead, such has been their pressure.

… and still no resolution.

It was given by the referee, and that will count for a lot. But the chants of ‘boring, boring’ and ‘f*** VAR’ show no sign of slowing.

VAR decides to check out whether Simms’ arm interfered with the ball going in. It appears to have sprung off his body, but is it arm-first, or chest-first?

The ball was shuffled into the goal forcefully, but it’s an exceptionally close call here.

Coventry win a freekick 35 yards out, which Palmer sends flying in – it’s headed down by Kitching on the edge of the six-yard box, to Simms who barrels it in!

Wright has a strong long-range from north of the box, and only just misses the crossbar. It’s unchallenging for Sa, but yet another statement of intent from the Championship side.

Coventry are already trying to test Wolves around the penalty area, with Wright challenging on the end of the box with Simms, and only a strong spell of defending from Semedo repels the visitors’ advances.

Wolves win a freekick just inside the Coventry half which is wafted to the left of the box for Ait-Nouri to eventually lay off, but his cross flies out of play.

A big 45 minutes coming up for both teams!

But that will likely be of no consolation to Ellis Simms.

A cagey affair by all accounts, with the underdogs having the upperhand as we head into the break.

That being said, Wolves will be extremely cheered by those missed chances, hoping that for all their bark, Coventry have little bite.

That was a strong showing from the visitors, but it’s still relatively even at Molineux. Literally, and figuratively.

As things stand, Mark Robins will be by far the happier manager at the break, even if he feels his side are badly missing a goal under their belts.

But Wolves hand them a late scare when Lemina fires in a ball inside the box to Fraser on the edge of the six-yard box but in the ensuing chaos, he bungles his final touch and sends the ball out.

There’ll be two minutes added.

Coventry continue to make a nuisance of themselves around the Wolves box, in a bid to make up for those missed chances.

Van Ewijk on the right plays to Latibeaudiere, crossing into the penalty area, but it’s Sheaf’s long ball that gets furthest, looking for Wright’s head. When the ball springs back, Palmer has a shot, which flies straight to Sa’s gloves.

Gomes goes ferreting down the right, looking to spray his cross to Fraser in the box, but the forward loses his footing and falls down to the contentment of the travelling fans.

At the other end, another strong chance from Coventry, as Simms runs towards goal, before handing off to Van Ewijk, who forces a fabulous close-range save from Sa.

Doyle ushers the ball up the pitch looking for Fraser, but the 19-year-old strays offside collecting the pass.

The action quickly turns back to the Wolves half, and after some strong attacking play from Coventry, Simms misses an absolute peach after Palmer forces an initial save from Sa.

He’s practically perched on the goal-line when he tries to sidestep the ball in. One to stew over for a while, I think.

Wolves come again, but their attack is overturned by a strong run out of the back by Latibeaudiere. Van Ewijk on the right lofts the ball into the penalty area, but only strong Wolves defending blocks him out.

When he repeats the action moments later, Simms is waiting again, but Wolves stay strong, and eventually get to force Coventry back.

Another chance from Semedo working well with Lemina on the right! He bullets the ball into the six-yard box, and it’s only a staunch Coventry defence that blocks the attempt back.

Wolves are beginning to threaten a little more dangerously now, after some strong passages from their Championship opposition.

Kilman presses the ball forward 30 yards out, before Lemina sends in a dangerous-looking cross into the box when his optimistic chance rebounds.

Moments later, Wolves have an even stronger chance! Lemina on the right dances past a Coventry defender on the deadball line to cut the ball into the box, and Semedo is there – but he lingers too long on the chance and the eventual shot flies out of play under-pressure.

The hosts try and take some of the visitors’ sting out of the game with a gentle spell of midfield possession before releasing Sarabia, who sends a flying ball across the pitch to Ait-Nouri.

Wolves keep possession with a throw-in, and continue to look to put a bit more of their stamp on the game – it’s been end-to-end stuff so far.

Sarabia flies forward, looking for Lemina, who then shoots the ball out to Ait-Nouri on the left.

He sends a thoughtful pass into the box, which Sarabia attempts to flick past Collins, but he can’t get purchase on the ball. An extra touch wouldn’t have been remiss in the threatening position.

Wolves prove they can bare their teeth too, with Lemina sending a sharply angled pass from the dead-ball line to a waiting Sarabia in the box, but Coventry are all over the attack, and eventually push the hosts back.

Sa is up and playing on despite that potential muscle issue – a stay of execution for the injury-strapped side.

A terrific run from Simms sees him slice through the midfield, tracked by Semedo. He has support from Eccles and Wright, but in the box the Wolves man finally gets the better of the forward and sneaks him off the ball.

But he’s poised again for trouble with the next Coventry attack, forcing some helter-skelter defending from Kilman. Palmer has a punt at goal at the top of the box which rebounds off a Wolves defender, before Wright has another attempt which flies wide. Strong pressure from the visitors now.

Lemina encounters stiff opposition from Latibeaudiere on the left, the Coventry defender worrying the midfielder, before he can set up Gomes, who combines well with Ait-Nouri, giving Coventry a real scare.

Coventry lock up, and force a corner, but there’s trouble brewing for Wolves: Sa the ‘keeper is down, and calling for the physios.

Sarabia surges forward on the right before handing off to Semedo, but Thomas thumps his cross away from danger with a confident pinch of defending.

Things feel nicely open as we move past the 10-minute mark – long may it last.

Coventry can’t make much of the well-weighted pass looking for Eccles in the box, but do better with the remains, as Palmer sends in a clever pass from the top of the box looking for Wright that Kilman has to hurle himself at to deny the strong chance.

The visitors add pressure with their corner, looking very bright now.

Eccles on the right in Wolves’ half shifts the ball into the centre to Wright as Coventry test the waters in attack, but Wolves swarm and Gomes leaps into the box to push back the budding threat.

But as Wolves look to play out from the back, Coventry buzz around, looking to pick on any flaws, and have the opportunity to flood forward again, winning a freekick after Ait-Nouri flies into Van Ewijk late just in front of the box.

An early yellow for the Wolves midfielder.

Ait-Nouri goes high on the left looking for a long pass from Sarabia, but the ball skids out and away from him, falling victim to the well-watered turf.

Coventry haven’t had much to do in these early stages, as they get their pocket picked in the centre circle, setting up another spell of Wolves possession.

O’Neil’s side keep hold of possesion in the opening moments as they look for a considered route into Coventry territory.

Ait-Nouri looks to bully his way over the halfway line on the left and encounters sky-blue resistance, but it’s Wolves’ ball – they squander an early attack with a ball sent flying past the dead-ball line.

A great roar goes up as the whistle blows, with the hosts kicking off to get us underway.

The players are massing in the tunnel, as the noise from the stands booms around Molineux, a sea of yellow and black waving flags.

Don’t go anywhere – we’ll be underway in moments.

It’s not over yet – but Gary O’Neil has – thus far – been able to make a remarkable time of it in the Black Country, after accepting a role which felt like a poisoned chalice after the departure of Julen Lopetegui.

You can read more on a potential raise in the offing, below.

Haji Wright and Ellis Simms have a combined 26 goals across all competitions this season, and four in the FA Cup alone.

Simms last picked up a hat-trick against Maidstone, and while the minnows might not have provided the greatest resistance, his confidence should be in rip-roaring form, which could be a huge boost on the road today.

With Wolves’ attack depleted, O’Neil once again turns to Nathan Fraser, the 19-year-old Irish academy star with just one FA Cup appearance to his name.

But the forward knew what to do with it – netting in that replay tie against Brentford in January – and had similar returns in the Carabao Cup, scoring and registering an assist in his first league cup outing against Blackpool back in August.

Fraser has the experienced Pablo Sarabia alongside him leading the line – but all eyes will be on him to see if he can rise to the occasion and keep Wolves in the hunt for silverware.

… and Coventry City have touched grass at Molineux.

… was in 2014. Remember then?

The two teams were scrapping for glory in League One, and the all-Midlands affair ended with an unsatisfying, hard-to-spin-into-a-narrative 1-1 draw.

You have to go further back into their past for the two teams’ last FA Cup meeting – 40 years, to be exact, to 1984, when the tie had to be be played three times to see a result after two grinding stalemates. Wolves eventually fell to Coventry 3-0. They were duly knocked out of the competition about a week later by Sheffield Wednesday for their troubles.

Last week, I was unbelievably proud and impressed with the group, because to have suffered what we had suffered handed a massive advantage to Fulham.

Today, we need to go again. They understand that. No excuses. Every club across the country is missing players, we’re missing players.

On whether he’d prefer to qualify for Europe via the FA Cup or the league:

Both ideally! Either route is fine. I’m not thinking about Europe at all, really.

We were very good managing the injuries earlier this season, and now we’ve suffered a few. But let’s see where we can go.

We’d love to qualify for Europe, but that involves winning today, being prepared to go to Villa. We need to be at our best today, and just trying to push that.

While they can’t expect the low-ball they were fed in the previous round, it’s a good time for the trip to Molineux. Gary O’Neil’s side have been ravaged by injury in attack, and the manager goes without threats including Pedro Neto, Matheus Cunha, and Craig Dawson.

They’ve been on a strong run across all competitions, however, only falling to Newcastle in their last five matches.

Coventry, by contrast, are fully fit and raring to go – even if their league form has been a little more speckled. They currently sit eighth in the Championship – but have recent wins against Watford and Rotherham under their belt.

Our first sighting of, I hope, many makeshift cups, and while this one doesn’t make use of traditional tin foil, the accurate sponsorship ribbons are more than appreciated.

Wolves make two changes from the side that beat Fulham 2-1 last weekend, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Pedro Neto swapped for Tommy Doyle (who injury subbed for the former just 11 minutes into that tie) and Toti Gomes.

Coventry City last beat Watford by the same scoreline in their last run-out, and they see fit to make two changes too, with Milan van Ewijk in for Liam Kelly, and Sheaf featuring ahead of Victor Torp.

Coventry City may have booked their trip to Wolverhampton on the back of a 5-0 humbling of Up-for-the-Cup heroes Maidstone United, but previously saw off Sheffield Wednesday in a sticky two-legged tie in the fourth round, after their straightforward defeat of Oxford United opened their campaign.

Wolves have had a tougher time of it, manfully despatching Premier League rivals Brighton 1-0 in the fifth round, after a feisty – and I mean feisty – derby tangle with West Bromwich Albion before that. Wolves also had to grapple with top-flight opposition in the third round, but although it took two stabs, they evenutally toppled Brentford, 4-3 on aggregate.

Settle in – we’ve got a whole weekend of this, and at the end of it, we’ll have a clearer picture of the all-important road to Wembley.

All your FA Cup quarter-finals weekend questions answered, below.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of the first of this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals, with Championship side Coventry City roughly 30 mile drive to Molineux to face Wolves.

Kick-off is at the brunch-like time of 12.15pm, but stick around as we bring you all the team news, build-up, and more ahead of a tantalising weekend of knockout football.