Vitor Pereira rued a costly day for Wolves’ survival hopes after their talisman Matheus Cunha was sent off in a moment of madness during their 5-4 penalty shootout defeat at Bournemouth in the FA Cup fifth round.
Cunha had sent the tie to extra time with a sensational 60th-minute equaliser from range but lost his head with spot-kicks on the horizon.
After Cunha had been flagged offside in the 119th minute, he grabbed Cherries left-back Milos Kerkez around the neck before he appeared to punch, kick and push his head into the face of the same player.
Referee Sam Barrott eventually pulled out a red card for Cunha, who had remonstrated with Pereira after the red mist descended and pushed team-mate Daniel Bentley as he was ushered towards the changing room.
Cunha was banned for two matches earlier this season by the Football Association after he clashed with a member of Ipswich’s staff and could face further retrospective punishment, which may derail Wolves’ safety bid.
The 17th-placed club face crucial Premier League games with Everton, Southampton, West Ham and relegation rivals Ipswich over the next month.
“Matheus is a special player,” Pereira reflected.
“In this game the emotional side was very high and not only inside the pitch, but on the bench and in the stands, everywhere and a lot of pressure.
“In the end it happens what can happen. It should not happen but this is something that happens in football.
“Don’t ask me about it because I was looking at the other side. In the end the referee decided the red card.
“Of course the red card is one less player, one less specialist in penalties and the next games without a player that is important for us, but in the end we will start the next game against Everton with 11 and this is the most important for me.
“He is important but I cannot speak about what I don’t know. It is important to check the situation, to look for what happened because I was looking for the other side.
“I cannot judge a situation because the others say to me he kicked, he punched, he did what he did, with the head and the player went to hospital? No, OK but it is a situation that cannot happen of course. To judge the situation, I must have the clear image in my mind.”
Bournemouth were deserved winners after 31 shots and 68 per cent possession during a one-sided encounter.
Evanilson tapped the Cherries in front on the half an hour mark and five minutes later they thought it was 2-0 when Kerkez bundled in from David Brooks’ corner.
A VAR check of eight minutes followed and after Timothy Wood and Darren England deemed Kerkez and Dean Huijsen had not handled the ball, the latter was deemed to be offside and it was eventually ruled out.
Further chances for the hosts came and went either side of Cunha’s sumptuous leveller as he let fly from 30 yards and sent a swerving effort beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Cunha would have been one of the penalty takers for Wolves, but was sent off in the 119th minute and yet the visitors still almost progressed.
Huijsen had his effort from 12-yards saved by Johnstone and Matt Doherty could have sent the away side through only to drag his shot wide.
When Boubacar Traore hit the crossbar with Wolves’ next penalty, Sinisterra had the chance to fire Bournemouth through to the quarter-finals for only the third time in their history and duly did to spark big celebrations at Vitality Stadium.
Iraola admitted: “Definitely emotional. I think today, I don’t remember a game within my career where we came to a game and it is difficult to explain how we didn’t win in the 90 minutes, in the extra time.
“We have to accept and finish in penalties. Luckily for us we could finish it very happy and celebrate we are in the last eight. That is a good achievement.”
On Kerkez, Iraola said: “He has received a yellow card for adopting an aggressive attitude.
“After what they have done to Milos Kerkez, they should reward him because the attitude he has. They punch him, they kick him on the floor, they headbutt him and he doesn’t react! You punish this?
“I will have to say to Milos probably I cannot do as well as a player. The prize is they show him a yellow card and he will not play the quarter-final. Yes I am very disappointed with the refereeing.”