Wolves boss Gary O’Neil described the behaviour of Coventry counterpart Mark Robins “disgusting” after he celebrated his side’s remarkable FA Cup quarter-final win in the face of a 13-year-old ball boy.
The Championship outfit stunned their Premier League opponents with two goals in added time to seal a 3-2 victory and book a first semi-final in this competition since they won it in 1987.
It was after Haji Wright’s winner at the death that Robins showed a rare sight of emotion by celebrating in front of a ball boy, who had irked him moments before.
Robins offered an unprompted apology in his press conference after the game, but O’Neil said the teenager was left distressed.
NEVER. GIVE. UP.@Coventry_City were a goal down with minutes to play…
Haji Wright has just sent them to Wembley with this late winner 🤯#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/gCIngig6zX
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 16, 2024
“I was disappointed, I waited for Mark downstairs and spoke to him because I was really respectful at the end, having lost a massive game, waited for them to finish their celebrations, shook everyone’s hands, congratulated them on a real good performance, reaching Wembley and what a fantastic achievement it was,” O’Neil said.
“And he apologised, but to celebrate in a young boy’s face like that I thought was disgusting, the boy is really upset. It shouldn’t happen, but I don’t have too much to say about it because we have lost and it’s going to seem bitter.
“But I thought it was really important to speak to Mark about it because they are just kids doing a job.”
Robins was regretful afterwards and admitted to letting his emotions get the better of him.
He said: “I have an apology to make, before the winner went in, the ball boy has the ball, a young kid, so I am apologising to him, he has the ball in his hand, drops it and walks away smiling.
“It really annoyed me, but he’s a kid, at the end of the day I have reacted, we scored the goal and I went and celebrated in front of him.
“I apologise to him. I do not show emotion very often and before that happened I apologise to him, I don’t show emotion very often but that is what the FA Cup does to you. I apologise to him unreservedly to him.”
It is little surprise Robins was emotional given the manner of an unbelievable climax at Molineux.
It looked like they would be leaving with broken hearts after two goals in the final 10 minutes from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo Bueno overturned Ellis Simms’ opener and seemed to set a Wembley date for Wolves.
But the Sky Blues were not done and in nine minutes of time added on they turned the last-eight tie around again, with Simms grabbing a second and then Wright earning himself folklore by grabbing the winner.
They are into just a second semi-final in this competition, with the last one coming en route to lifting the cup 37 years ago.
With some of the teams still left in this year’s edition, Robins is not overly optimistic of a repeat of that famous win over Tottenham.
Asked if he thought they could win the competition, Robins said: “Did you say win the competition? You do realise who is left in?
“Well, we have got a small chance. We are going to Wembley and we are going to enjoy that game, I don’t want to go there and just make the numbers up. We know, are not stupid, the levels go up all of the time.”
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