There will be no trip to Wembley for Albion this season after a frustrating Emirates FA Cup exit to Wolves.
Roberto De Zerbi was without nine players through injury and suspension but they still dominated for long spells at Molineux and had some good chances, particularly in the first half.
But the cutting edge required to break down a well organised home side was missing and the second-minute goal scored by Mario Lemina means Wolves will host Coventry City in the quarter-finals.
For Albion there is still much to play for of course, but this still felt like an opportunity lost.
De Zerbi made five changes to the side which drew 1-1 with Everton on Saturday. In came Jason Steele, Ansu Fati, Pervis Estupinan, Jakub Moder – for only his second start since April 2022 – and Cameron Peupion, making his full debut having twice made substitute appearances last season. Valentin Barco made his debut late on from the bench.
Albion couldn’t have made a worse start, conceding inside two minutes. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde got away from Jan Paul van Hecke and Peupion down the left, Jason Steele failed to gather his cross and Lemina beat Pervis Estupinan to the loose ball and hooked it in from close range.
But Albion soon settled and by half-time they should have been level.
Fati’s claims that he was being held in the box by Jose Sa, when Pascal Gross whipped over a left-wing corner, were ignored before an incisive four-man move ended with Simon Adingra cutting inside but firing disappointingly over.
Albion’s clearest first-half opportunity came on 27 minutes. Facundo Buonanotte led the break then Adingra pulled his through ball into Moder’s path on the edge of the D. It looked as if his left-foot effort was going in but instead it curled away inches wide of the left-hand post.
The visitors nearly caused their own downfall again when Igor left a back-pass short. Steele came out of goal and timed his challenge perfectly to dispossess Bellegarde, but it was a rare moment of alarm.
Back came Albion. Pervis Estupinan’s low shot, after a great move involving Fati and Adingra, was deflected wide then came the best chance of the first half. Adingra teased in a tempting cross from the left, but an unmarked Buonanotte could only direct a stooping header from close range wide.
Just before the break van Hecke led a break which ended with Peupion cutting inside only to fire tamely at Sa and in stoppage time Adingra dragged another shot wide with teammates in better positions screaming for a pass.
Danny Welbeck came on for Peupion at the break and Albion picked up where they’d left off. Lewis Dunk headed Gross’s corner a yard wide with Wolves happy to sit in and counter-attack in numbers. On one break substitute Pedro Neto nicked the ball off Dunk on halfway and galloped forward before being outnumbered. Rayan Ait-Nouri then made a terrific run from left-back but his shot, high into the North Bank, didn’t match his approach work.
Julio Enciso, Benicio Baker-Boaitey and Barco came on in the last 20 minutes but it turned into a frustrating night as Albion, for all their possession, struggled to seriously test Sa, although Barco, who impressed on the left, delivered a lovely cross which Welbeck couldn’t quite head on target. There was one last chance deep into stoppage time when Carlos Baleba won a header at a corner and it dropped to the unmarked Steele six yards out, but he stabbed it inches wide. It rather summed up Albion's night.
Albion: Steele, Igor (Barco 80), Dunk, van Hecke; Peupion (Welbeck 45), Moder (Baleba 60), Gross, Adingra, Estupinan, Buonanotte (Baker-Boaitey 70), Fati (Enciso 70).
Subs not used: Verbruggen, Webster, Lallana, Offiah.
Referee: Andrew Madley
Attendance: 23,822
Match report in association with SnickersUK.com