Wolves claim last gasp equaliser

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 v Newcastle United 1

I am not aware that you can suffer jet lag by flying back from Malaga. But for much of this evening Wolves played as if they were. That or they were struggling to rouse themselves from their pool side sun loungers. The Spanish break may have been due reward for a positive start to 2019 but for most of this game v struggling Newcastle it looked as if it had backfired. Then, with three and a half of the allotted four minutes of added time having passed, Willy Boly rose at the back post to head home. It was “get out of gaol” writ large and evidence that at times football can be a cruel game.

Much of what had passed in the previous 93 minutes had been generally uneventful, the game having the feel of a slow Monday morning at the office following a long commute. It partially spluttered into life in minute 17 when Raul Jimenez went down in the box to shouts of penalty. But I felt it was he who struck the Newcastle defenders leg rather than the reverse. Two further chances, the first to Jimenez in minute 35 and the second to Castrol Otto in minute 41 were both well saved by Martin Dubravka in the Newcastle goal. Then in the 44th minute Soloman Rondon should have done better with Newcastle’s one and only first half chance, his effort on goal appearing to be sliced but actually being deflected wide. And that was it.

In the second half Wolves continued to dominate possession. But, as has happened before against sides over whom they have technical superiority, they lose focus. And when that happens they tend to get punished. Which is what happened here, although in part they were complicit in their own downfall when in minute 55 Rui Patricio needlessly kicked the ball into touch when under no pressure. From the ensuing throw in Newcastle moved the ball quickly to the right channel where Fabian Schar’s fine pass picked out Isaac Hayden whose snap shot from the six yard box went in between Patricio and his near post.

Wolves spluttered on but with twenty minutes of the game remaining Manager Nuno rang the changes, Ivan Cavaleiro and Helda Costa replacing the anonymous Leander Dendoncka and an injured Diogo Jota. Adama Traore then came on for Matt Doherty and in minute 81 his volley ricocheted to Jimenez who, with the goal at his mercy, headed wide. At that point it felt like it was not to be the home side’s night until, in time added on, desperation led to a concerted passage of pressure. And with it the Boly goal that sealed the point. Wolves are up there amongst the premier league’s late goal scorers and here they had done it once again.

Wolves: Patricio 6, Bennett 6, Coady 6, Boly 7, Doherty 6 Sub Traore, Castro Otto 7, Neves 6, Dendoncker 5 Sub Cavaleiro, Moutinho 7, Jota 6 Sub Helder Costa, Jimenez 6

Newcastle United: Dubravka 7, Schar 7, Lascelles 6, Lejeune 6, Yedlin 6, Hayden 6 Sub Diame, Longstaff 6, Atsu 6 Sub Almiron, Ritchie 6, Perez 6 Sub Manquillo, Rondon 7

Attendance: 30,687

Referee: Graham Scott 7

©Mark Brennand