Match report and free highlights as Allan Saint-Maximin’s 90th-minute volley rescues a 1-1 draw for Newcastle against Wolves; Ruben Neves had earlier given hosts the lead at Molineux; hosts felt Fabian Schar should have been sent off in the second half
Allan Saint-Maximin’s sensational, 90th-minute volley rescued a 1-1 draw for Newcastle at Molineux as Wolves raged against the decision not to send off defender Fabian Schar for a late tackle on Pedro Neto early in the second half.
Saint-Maximin showed brilliant technique as he met a looping clearance from Wolves substitute Hee-Chan Hwang with a devastating right-footed strike from 20 yards out which left Jose Sa with no chance.
Newcastle appeared to be heading for their first defeat of the season after a similarly eye-catching long-range goal from Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves late in the first half put the hosts on the brink of victory.
But Saint-Maximin’s strike hauled Newcastle level and they were inches away from winning it in the seventh minute of stoppage time when substitute Elliot Anderson sent a header against the bar following a corner.
Saint-Maximin was forced off with an apparent hamstring problem after his equaliser, but the bigger frustration was felt by Wolves, who accused Schar of “almost breaking Neto’s leg” with a “really dangerous” tackle which was ruled as only a yellow card following a VAR check.
“Everyone sees it on the TV,” an angry Neves told Sky Sports afterwards. “I already watched the images and it’s unbelievable.
“He almost broke his leg. Foot on the floor, tackle on his shin. Really, really dangerous, but they keep playing with the 11 men.”
Wolves boss Bruno Lage added: “I will say maybe 90 per cent of people, after watching the images, will say it’s a red card but the referee and the VAR take another decision.”
Newcastle began the game strongly as they sought to continue their unbeaten start to the season but, without injured duo Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes as well as £58m signing Alexander Isak, whose work permit did not arrive in time, they lacked a cutting edge.
Chris Wood was denied by Sa from an angle after finding himself through on goal early on and Joe Willock then missed a simple close-range opportunity, firing wide from only eight yards out.
Newcastle felt they should have had a penalty seconds before that chance, when Matheus Nunes appeared to pull back Sean Longstaff, but Willock’s miss allowed Wolves to gradually shift the momentum of the game in their favour.
Nunes headed wide from a Raul Jimenez cross, while the Mexico striker himself sent another half-chance straight at Nick Pope, but Neves’ opener arrived not long afterwards, the midfielder scoring his 16th Wolves goal from outside the box as he fired past Pope after collecting a Goncalo Guedes pass 25 yards out.
0 Comments