An entertaining 90 minutes at Molineux ended all square for Wolves and Newcastle United as Ruben Neves’ thunderstrike was cancelled out late on by Allan Saint-Maximin’s long-range volley.
Wolves looked to have claimed their first three points of the season after Neves struck just before the break with the hosts well on top at home. Heading into added time with the advantage, chances were coming for both sides, and after Raul Jimenez had a goal disallowed by VAR due to a foul in the build-up, Newcastle struck a devastating late blow – securing a sixth 1-1 draw between the sides in the last nine meetings.
Bruno Lage made five changes from the side which made it through in the Carabao Cup five days earlier, while Raul Jimenez and Nelson Semedo maintained the place to make their first Premier League starts of the campaign having returned from injury.
Posing a threat from set-pieces during their opening matches of the season, Newcastle were unable to use that to their advantage in the early stages, with the hosts providing more of the attacking impetus inside the first 10 minutes of the match.
With his place in the centre of the restored after a cameo appearance of the bench in midweek in the cup win over Preston North End, captain Neves dictated play in the opening stages, playing a delightful first time 60-yard pass into the path of Goncalo Guedes who in turn crossed for Pedro Neto, but his effort narrowly missed over Nick Pope’s crossbar.
Neto was proving to be a menace down the left, as he posted numerous crosses into the box, but Pope was always there to gather.
Despite Wolves’ threat, it was the visitors who possibly should have taken the lead as the ball found its way to the feet of Joe Willock inside the Wolves penalty area after the initial ball into the box wasn’t cleared, but fortunately for the gold and black shirts, the former Arsenal man could only place his effort wide of Jose Sa’s upright.
Wolves were having the better of the opportunities, but as has been the case this season, they were struggling to convert, with new man Matheus Nunes the latest to spurn a good chance. Jimenez did well on the left to nick the ball off Trippier before crossing onto the head of the boyhood Sunderland fan, but Nunes couldn’t angle the ball on target.
The hosts finally made their chances count with five minutes of the half remaining. Guedes was found in space out on the left, who lays the ball back into the path of Neves on the edge of the penalty area and after taking a touch to compose himself, the skipper launched an unstoppable shot beyond Pope and into the bottom left corner of the net.
Half-time | Wolves 1-0 Newcastle
Wolves shot straight out of the gate in the second period, which saw Neto in the wars. The winger took a high challenge from Fabian Schar 30 yards out from goal, and following a VAR check for serious foul play, the Newcastle man got away with just a telling off and booking from referee Peter Bankes. Up stepped Neves for the set-piece but his powerful drive took a deflection off the Newcastle wall as they kept the ball away from Pope’s goal.
The visitors stepped up the pressure as the game approached the hour mark, and Nathan Collins was lucky to turn the ball the wrong side of the post from a Miguel Almiron’s cross, before Maximilian Kilman deflected a long-range effort from Schar out for a corner.
But Wolves were giving as good as they got. Neto firing an effort straight at Pope from a good position with the gold shirts of Guedes, Nunes and Jimenez also bursting forwards.
With 20 minutes of the tie remaining, a lengthy stoppage arrived after Nunes and Newcastle substitute Ryan Fraser collided heads in the Wolves penalty area. Fortunately, both men were able to get to their feet after medical attention and continue on the pitch.
Although they were hanging on at times throughout the second-half as Wolves were sometimes camped inside their own penalty area, Lage’s side were still a threat on the counter, and almost grabbed a second.
A quick turnover in possession as the black and white shirts were on the attack, saw Neto nip in and steal the ball from Fraser before racing up the pitch and laying it on a plate for Jimenez to fire home from close range. But following a VAR intervention, it was decided that Neto had committed a foul in the build-up and disallowed the goal.
Moments before the game entered eight added minutes, the visitors pulled level. Hee Chan Hwang’s clearance went high in the air but only as far as Saint-Maximin and the Newcastle man’s volley flew beyond the reach of Sa.
Wolves pushed to regain the lead in the closing stages, and it was Newcastle’s turn to break on the counter, but Sa stood up well when Saint-Maximin found himself one-on-one with the keeper to parry his effort to safety.
Hearts were in mouths in the closing stages, and Newcastle came inches away from snatching the three points as Trippier’s corner found Matt Targett, but his header cannoned back off the crossbar, as the sides played out another 1-1 draw at Molineux.
Full-time | Wolves 1-1 Newcastle
Wolves | Sa, Jonny, Collins, Kilman, Semedo, Neves, Moutinho (Dendoncker 90), Nunes, Neto (Hwang 83), Guedes (Podence 83), Jimenez.
Unused subs | Sarkic, Mosquera, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Traore, Campbell.
Newcastle | Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn (Targett 65), Longstaff, Willock, Joelinton, Almiron (Murphy 84), Saint-Maximin (Ritchie 90), Wood (Fraser 65).
Unused subs | Darlow, Manquillo, Lascelles, Dummett, Anderson.
Referee | Peter Bankes
