Kadioglu seals Albion's Carabao Cup progress

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Substitute scores with his first touch after first-half goals by Baleba and Adingra in 3-2 win over Wolves.

Bruce Talbot

2024-09-18T21:45+01:00

Carlos Baleba's goal from 25 yards was nearly as good as his back-flip celebration. 📷 Paul Hazlewood

Substitute Ferdi Kadioglu scored with his first touch to seal Albion’s place in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

It looked like being a comfortable night at the Amex when Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra hit sumptuous long-range goals during a dominant opening half-hour by the hosts.

But Rodrigo Gomes pulled one back just before the break and in an end-to-end second half it was Wolves who looked likelier to score the next goal. Jack Hinshelwood made an amazing goal line clearance, and the visitors wasted other opportunities.

But with six minutes to go Kadioglu finished a rapid counter-attack a minute after coming on and his volley made it 3-1. Tommy Doyle got a second for Wolves in stoppage time but Albion got the job done.

Flipping. Marvellous. 📷 Paul Hazlewood

Fabian Hurzeler made eight changes from Saturday’s goalless draw against Ipswich and Wolves changed ten players, but it was Albion who looked more cohesive and their early dominance was rewarded with a brilliant goal on 14 minutes by Baleba.

He pressed Joao Gomes 30 yards out and won the ball back before setting himself and curling a left-foot shot into the bottom corner. The celebration wasn’t bad either as Baleba did two somersaults and a dance in front a delighted East Stand.

Minteh thought he’d doubled the lead midway through the first half. The impressive Evan Ferguson turned Alfie Pond expertly, Sa parried his shot but Minteh had drifted offside when he turned the ball into an empty net.

Salute. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Wolves had a good spell and skipper for the night Jason Steele showed his athleticism to tip a powerful shot from the right-corner of the box by Goncalo Guedes over the bar.

But Albion were on top and scored another superbly taken goal on 31 minutes. Adam Webster’s raking cross-field pass found Adingra and he cut in from the left, gliding past Pedro Lima and Santiago Bueno before beating Sa from 20 yards with a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Evan Ferguson was making his first start of the campaign for Albion.

Albion seemed to be in control but two minutes before the break Wolves got one back. Matt Doherty combined with Rodrigo Gomes on the left and Doherty’s pull-back was side-footed past Steele by Guedes from close range with the aid of a slight deflection off Adam Webster.

Steele denied Wolves an equaliser a minute after the restart when he blocked Gomes’ shot with his legs and Steele saved at the feet of Pablo Sarabia after more good work by Guedes down the right as Albion struggled to rediscover their first-half fluency.

Jakub Moder was in the starting XI for the first time this campaign.

They had another escape on 64 minutes when Nelson Semedo got to the line and pulled the ball back for Hee Chan Hwang. His close-range shot was deflected off Webster and Rodrigo Gomes was about to tap the loose ball home from a yard out when Hinshelwood somehow got across to boot it off the line.

Wolves squandered another chance in the 70th minute when Guedes in yards of space 15 yards out dragged his shot horribly wide of the left-hand post.

As the visitors committed more men forward they left gaps at the back and with five minutes to go Albion pounced. Adingra sent Welbeck into space and Sa could only parry his shot into the path of Kadioglu, who volleyed it home.

There was a late twist when Steele’s pass out was intercepted by Jorgen Strand Larsen and he teed up Doyle, who thrashed a right-foot shot past Steele and in off the underside of the bar. Wolves deserved a second goal but it came too late to stop Albion reaching the fourth round.

Albion: Steele, Hinshelwood, Webster, Igor, Estupinan, Baleba (Wieffer 62), Moder (Ayari 71), Minteh (Kadioglu 82), Enciso (Lamptey 82), Adingra, Ferguson (Welbeck 62).