Cunha incredible head-loss costs Wolves as Manchester City avoid Liverpool slip

Matheus Cunha was sent off as Champions League-chasing Bournemouth reached the FA Cup quarter-final after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Wolves.

Bournemouth avenged their Premier League defeat to Wolves just a week prior as Luis Sinisterra converted in sudden death following consecutive Wolves misses from the spot through Matt Doherty and Boubacar Traore.

Andoni Iraola’s side had taken the lead in the 30th minute when Evanilson marked his first start in almost two months by finishing into an empty net after Sam Johnstone saved Antoine Semenyo’s effort.

Bournemouth were the better team for the majority of the game and had a Milos Kerkez goal ruled out after an eight-minute VAR delay as the new semi-automated offside technology failed.

But as Bournemouth found in their defeat to Wolves last month, Matheus Cunha always gives Vitor Pereira’s side a chance.

From almost nothing, the Brazilian unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner from 30 yards out on the hour mark to bring Wolves level.

Wolves only had one more shot for the rest of the game as they dedicated themselves to defending hard-earned parity; across the remaining half an hour and extra-time Bournemouth had 21 efforts on goal.

But they could not find a way through with substitute Daniel Jebbison having one cleared off the line by Toti.

The game was headed for penalties after a goalless extra-time when Cunha, trying to waste time, lashed out at Kerkez, aimed a kick at him on the ground and then pushed his head into the defender as they squared up.

Cunha, an almost certain penalty taker in the shoot-out, was inevitably sent off and when Doherty missed the chance to send Wolves through after Johnstone had kept out Dean Huijsen from 12 yards, Sinisterra capitalised on Traore striking the bar to send Bournemouth through.

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Manchester City kept alive their hopes of winning a trophy this season by coming from behind to beat Liverpool slayers Plymouth at the Etihad.

Plymouth, battling Championship relegation, threatened eliminating a third consecutive top-flight side in this stunning FA Cup run when Maksym Talovierov gave them the lead late in the first half.

But Nico O’Reilly equalised before the break and, after some heroic defending from the visitors, headed in a second.

Manchester City were never likely to cede that advantage and Kevin de Bruyne marked an excellent performance with a goal in the closing stages.

Preston will join Manchester City, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in the hat for the quarter-final draw after thrashing fellow Championship side Burnley at Deepdale.

The hosts came into the game having failed to win any of their three games since beating Wycombe on penalties in the fourth round but they comfortably beat the Clarets, who made nine changes and fell to their first defeat since November 3.

Milutin Osmajic was ignored by every Burnley player during the pre-match handshakes after being accused of racially abusing Hannibal Mejbri during the goalless draw between the two sides in early February.

The Montenegro international goaded the Burnley supporters after his smart finish made it 2-0 in the first half, ten minutes or so after a sublime Robbie Brady free-kick put his former side behind.

That was the first goal Burnley had conceded since the third round of this competition, although James Trafford’s clean sheet record stands as Vaclav Hladky was the stand-in between the posts.

Will Keane ensured Preston’s passage through with a late goal as Paul Heckingbottom’s side made the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1966.

“It was another fiercely contested game like they have been with us and Burnley this year. We performed well and I thought we got better as the game wore on,” the manager said afterwards.

“We were good without the ball all game but it was a little bit frantic. Whether that was the occasion, the intensity of the game – when we regained the ball early on, we gave it away too cheaply.

“We gradually settled as the game wore on and got better and better, so I’m delighted with the performance and the win.”

Burnley boss Scott Parker said defeat was “disappointing” as “we just fell short in the basics”, but he made no apologies for fielding a much-changed side.

“I need to manage that squad and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.

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