Julen Lopetegui made a triumphant start as Wolves manager as they reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Gillingham.
The Premier League strugglers finally got a breakthrough on 77 minutes through Raul Jimenez’s penalty after Hwang Hee-chan was fouled.
Ryan et Nouri then won in stoppage time after the break.
Gillingham, bottom of League Two, were upbeat but were eventually beaten by their hosts.
Former Real Madrid and Spain manager Lopetegui’s first game in charge of Wolves was long overdue, when he replaced Bruno Lage in November.
If he is to lift Wolves from the foot of the Premier League, the 56-year-old has one big problem to solve – scoring goals.
His side have scored just eight in the league this season, and struggled to break down Gillingham for long periods despite having most of the shots and possession.
Ruben Neves came closest for Wolves in the first half, hitting a 35th-minute free-kick before hitting the post with a 20-yard effort just before half-time as Lopetegui looked visibly frustrated.
He started Diego Costa, who was a key figure in Lopetegui’s Spain side that qualified for the 2018 World Cup, but the former Chelsea forward is still waiting for his first Wolves goal.
Instead it was Jimenez, fresh from World Cup duty with Mexico, who broke the deadlock in the 77th minute after Hwang – himself involved in the last 16 tie with South Korea in Qatar. Was – brought down after a corner.
Jimenez calmly sent Gulls keeper Jack Turner the wrong way for his first goal since August 23, 119 days ago, when the 31-year-old scored against Preston in the second round of the EFL Cup.
Lopetegui said of the forward after the game: “It’s good for Raul and it’s good for us. All strikers want to score goals and it will be important for his confidence.”
Wolves won in stoppage time through Ait-Nouri, but Lopetegui was visibly unimpressed by his side’s performance and headed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle.
The Molineux club are set to sign striker Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid – for Lopetegui, the prospect of scoring more goals can’t come soon enough.
For Gillingham, their focus will return to trying to extend their 72-year reign as a league club.
They have won just two of their 20 games in League Two, are without a win since October 1 and with just six league goals, they are the only English League side with fewer goals than Wolves.
Neil Harris’ side looked as if they could fight back on penalties after having offered little in regular play, knocking out Premier League Brentford via spot-kicks in the third round.
Jimenez and co ensured that would not happen, however, although Gillingham could pull off another cup upset when they take on Leicester City in the FA Cup third round next month.
