santiago bueno header seals Wolves' muddy FA Cup win at Blundell Park
Wolves scraped through to the FA Cup fifth round as Santiago Bueno diverted Joao Gomes' cross home in a gritty, rain-lashed tie at Blundell Park. The only shot on target of the game proved enough to defeat resolute League Two opponents on a pitch that rapidly turned to quagmire.
Match summary: a single moment settles a chaotic contest
Heavy, unrelenting rain left large patches of the surface sodden and unpredictable, and the conditions dictated a stop-start contest where clear-cut chances were scarce. Grimsby began brightly, with Charles Vernam testing the visitors within the first minute, while Wolves' first notable effort came through Tolu Arokodare in the 17th minute and sailed over the bar.
The best moment for the visitors arrived just after the hour mark. Joao Gomes delivered a cross into the box and Santiago Bueno diverted the ball with his thigh past goalkeeper Jackson Smith, a low-margin finish that proved decisive. That strike was Wolves' only shot on target in the entire match, underlining how difficult both sides found it to create in the heavy conditions.
Key moments and fine margins
Grimsby's penalty area had already become a mudbath before kickoff, and the surface only worsened as the game progressed. A moment of controversy occurred when Cameron McJannet was shown just a yellow card after a challenge on Adam Armstrong that halted a promising attack. From the resulting free-kick, Joao Gomes thundered the ball off the crossbar — easily the closest either side came to opening the scoring in the first half.
After the break, Grimsby twice threatened to snatch the tie. Armstrong capitalised on a mis-hit clearance early in the second half but blasted over with a clear sight of goal. The hosts' late urgency produced their first shot on target in the 90th minute when Andy Cook rose to meet a delivery, only for Sam Johnstone to deny him with a strong save. In stoppage time, Bueno produced a superb goal-line block that ensured Wolves avoided extra time and preserved their slim advantage.
Bigger picture: cup solace for a troubled top-flight side
The victory gives Wolves a place in Monday's fifth-round draw (ET) and marks the third successive season the club has reached this stage — their best run since 1981. For a team that has spent much of the campaign at the foot of the Premier League and sits 18 points adrift of safety with 12 matches remaining, the FA Cup represents one of the few remaining avenues for goodwill this season.
Rob Edwards' side were often meagre in attack on a day when simple passing was repeatedly undone by the ground. Even so, they defended the narrow lead with discipline and took the single clear chance they fashioned — a tidy piece of finishing from Bueno — to progress. Grimsby, for their part, will be left to rue missed late opportunities and a pitch that hampered their attempts to build on the momentum that has carried them near the top of League Two.
In difficult weather and on a treacherous surface, the tie delivered the sort of small drama the FA Cup specialises in: one clinical touch, a heroic block and the sense that for one more round, a struggling top-flight club can claim something to savour.
