Leon Osman heaps praise on Matt Doherty after Wolves’ FA Cup survival

Former Everton star Leon Osman has praised the performance of Matt Doherty during the Wolves’ 2-2 draw against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round. The West Midlands outfit appeared on course for an embarrassing exit heading into injury time but Doherty saved their blushes with a sublime header with seconds left to play.

Speaking after the game, Osman was impressed with the performance of the 27-year-old, who has been delivering consistent performances from the right wing-back position, he said: “We thought (Gary) Doherty was leading the game, until Doherty popped up at the end. He was easily the best player in a Wolves shirt today.

“He was the main threat all day long, with three goals and four assists so far in the Premier League this season and you can see exactly why. He has the composure to pick people out in the penalty area and just when your team is losing by a goal in the last minute of an FA Cup game...drifting in off the side, going to attack the ball and it’s a terrific header by him.”

“With the outcome, Wolves are scheduled to entertain Shrewsbury in a replay next month and they should fancy their prospects in that game“, given Nuno may not want to experiment much compared to the reverse fixture. Before that, however, “Nuno’s team have a couple“ of Premier League matches against West Ham United and Everton and points in both of those should enhance their prospects of finishing in the seventh position this term.

At present, only the sixth position in the standings is assured of a Europa League qualification spot but an additional spot could be available at the end of the season, should one of the top six end up winning the FA Cup. Wolves played out an exciting 4-3 thriller against Leicester City during their recent Premier League encounter.