A Willy Boly header in the dying seconds of added time secured Wolves a well-deserved point against Newcastle United at Molineux.
Nuno Espirito Santo kept the same starting 11 which had claimed the third of three consecutive victories away at Everton last weekend, but his side could not replicate the score line, and had to rely on Boly’s 95th minute equaliser to cancel out Isaac Hayden’s opener for the Magpies.
Wolves were looking for opening into the game in the early stages of the match, with Raul Jimenez just a few agonizing centimetres away from connecting with a Jonny pass across the box from the left side, minutes into the game, after good work by Diogo Jota in midfield.
The Wolves fans were appealing for a penalty shortly after the quarter of an hour mark when Jimenez went down in the area under a challenge from Christian Atsu, but despite loud calls by the crowd inside Molineux, referee Graham Scott was unmoved.
The home side were keeping up the pressure as the first half went on, and Ruben Neves was the next player to have an opportunity to put Wolves ahead. Following good work by Jota to win the ball back and keep possession in the middle of the pitch, he laid the ball off to Leander Dendoncker who lifted a pass into the feet of Jimenez.
The Mexican couldn’t get the ball under control but was able to lay it into the path of Neves, who could not curl his 25-yard effort on target.
Despite Wolves’ first half dominance, Newcastle could have taken the lead if Fabian Schar’s grass-cutting shot from mid-way inside the home side’s half went the other side of Rui Patricio’s right-hand post, but fortunately for the Portuguese international, he was able to watch the effort fly wide.
Martin Dubravka was the hero up the other end of the pitch just a few moments later when he was able to palm a Jimenez shot from a tight angle away from crossing the goal line, while Jonny tested the keeper with 10 minutes of the half remaining, firing in a shot from long-range after a corner was headed clear of the area.
Newcastle had their first spell of prolonged pressure as the first half went into added time, with Conor Coady making a last-ditch tackle to deny Salomon Rondon an effort on goal after the Magpies’ forward bust into the box.
Half-time: Wolves 0 Newcastle 0
Wolves started the second half as they did the first; on the front foot. Fantastic one-touch football by Doherty and Jimenez earnt their side a corner. From the resulting set-piece, it was the Irishman himself who got on the end of Joao Moutinho’s cross, heading over from inside the six-yard box.
Despite Wolves’ early pressure, it was Newcastle who took the lead through Hayden. The midfielder was played in one-on-one with Patricio with a cute ball between Boly and Jonny, and after making his way into the box, Hayden fired his effort goal wards, beating the keeper to put his side in front.
Nuno’s side continued to push for a goal, with both Jota coming close from a half volley on the edge of the box, before a Dendoncker header from 12 yards out, were bot dealt with by Dubravka in the Newcastle goal.
With just over 20 minutes in the contest remaining, Nuno threw caution to the wind in search for the equaliser by replacing Jota and Dendoncker with Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa, but despite the change in shape, it took until 80 minutes of the clock before Wolves could carve out a decent chance.
Adama Traore, on as a substitute, did well to win the ball on the right to flick Ivan Cavaleiro’s cross into the path of Jimenez, but the Mexican international could not adjust his body in time to head the ball goalbound from the centre of the area.
Newcastle a chance towards the end of the 90 minutes, despite Wolves pushing everyone forward in the hope of taking a point from the match, with the best of these coming through the boot of Ayoze Perez who flicked Miguel Almiron’s cross over the bar.
Wolves kept their pressure into the dying seconds with Newcastle putting bodies on the line to stop shots being driven in from all angles, but with almost the last kick off the match, Traore floated a cross to the back post which was bundled over the line from close range by Boly, to send the home crowd into raptures.
Full-time: Wolves 1 Newcastle 1
Wolves: Patricio, Doherty, Bennett (Traore 81), Coady, Boly, Jonny, Dendoncker (Costa 69), Neves, Moutinho, Jota (Cavaleiro 69), Jimenez.
Unused subs: Ruddy, Vinagre, Saiss, Gibbs-White.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Yedlin, Schar, Lascelles, Lejeune, Ritchie, Hayden (Diame 85), Longstaff, Atsu (Almiron 72), Perez (Manquillo 90), Rondon.
Unused subs: Woodman, Fernandez, Kenedy, Joselu.
Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 30,687
