If the result at Deepdale has you doubting the magic of the cup’s existence, Matt Doherty will make a believer out of you.
When a Premier League mainstay takes on a Championship outfit struggling near the bottom end of the table, one would expect the top-tier side to emerge victorious. That is unless the fixture takes place in the FA Cup which, as every football fan knows, sometimes experiences some weird magic-induced results.
That’s exactly what happened in the FA Cup third round clash between Wolves and Stoke City on Saturday. If the game was played on paper, mid-table Stoke would win it handily. Unfortunately for the Potters, the game isn’t played on paper, it’s played on grass… which becomes enchanted when it’s a knockout tie.
Wolves stunned the home side by going 1-0 up after half an hour through Helder Costa. A one goal margin is the least comfortable of all though. When the scoreline is that tight, there’s always a risk of an equaliser spoiling the underdog story and bringing proceedings to a replay, where magic often goes to die.
Luckily, Irishman Matt Doherty ensured his side’s safe passage to the next round with just 10 minutes left in normal time. He provided the coup de grace with a stunner of a free kick from the edge of the box to seal the upset win.
Who needs @BBCMOTD? Joyous scenes after this stunning strike from @mattdoherty20 @OfficialWolves pic.twitter.com/dMoayI7rxx
— John Bray (@johnbray69) January 7, 2017
If you’re still unconvinced of the magical nature of the cup competition, have a quick search for the result of the game between Milwall and Bournemouth.
