It’s panto, not Santo for Saints

IT’S three defeats out of three for Newcastle – after Tyler Walker’s winner stunned Rafa Benitez.

The Toon boss made 10 changes playing a virtual second-string side who are mostly up for sale.

And Forest cashed in with a deserved win after some aggressive, positive attacking play capped by sub Walker’s extra-time winner.

It has been a miserable start to the new campaign by Benitez’s side.

Any other manager in recent times would be under the cosh, especially after not targeting the cup – their only realistic chance of winning anything. But he has credit in the bank with the Geordie fans.

A four-goal first half started with Aleksandar Mitrovic getting United’s opening goal of the season.

Benitez hasn’t trusted him greatly in his year in charge, but his impact was immediate when handed a start last night.

The Serb scored after 150 seconds as he looked to prove a point to his boss.

Rolando Aarons, full of spark on the left wing, burst forward and slipped a pass across the box. Mitrovic let the ball run across his body and finished well. The celebration was interesting – holding a finger to his lips. Then he kissed his biceps. More importantly, it was a relief to the Geordies following two blank defeats in the Premier League.

But it was only temporary in a chaotic game in which Mark Warburton’s Forest looked uninhibited. Benitez (left) predicted the mood surrounding the club would change once results picked up. But it only darkened as Forest then galloped to a first-half lead.

The Spaniard risked picking the sort of side that would have raised the temper of fans under his predecessors. The joke was the starting XI should have ‘For Sale’ written on their shirts because Benitez needs to clear the wage bill and raise some spending money.

It looked a gamble when Forest equalised on 29 minutes with a flicked header from Jason Cummings after Zach Clough dinked in a lovely cross.

Two minutes later when Cummings got his second. It was a simple hoof over the top of United’s flat-footed defence and Cummings floated the ball over Karl Darlow who was stranded on the edge of his box.

Virtually the only United player to emerge from the first half with credit was Aarons.

His equaliser after 45 minutes was a cracker, lashing in from 25 yards after a swift counter-attack involving Jacob Murphy. WOLVES boss Nuno Espírito Santo changed his entire team but still knocked last season’s beaten finalists Southampton out of the Carabao Cup.

None of the starters from Saturday’s Championship defeat by Cardiff was even in the match-day squad.

But stand-in skipper Danny Batth and sub Donovan Wilson – with his first professional goal within two minutes of coming on – found the net to give the new Portuguese boss a fabulous win.

It was a first competitive defeat for new Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino in his first cup game in England.

The Spaniard made six changes but, after scoring three against West Ham to end a six-game drought at St Mary’s, his problems up front returned.

It was a dismal performance from the Premier League side who started with a strong spine of Fraser Forster, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-prowse and Charlie Austin. It was such a limp display that fed-up fans loudly booed at the final whistle.

Despite all their changes, Wolves enjoyed the stronger start and Nouha Dicko spurned a hat-trick of chances in only 90 seconds – the third when he failed to stab home a cross from Ivan Cavaleiro with the goal gaping.

Batth (above) broke the deadlock when he headed home Cavaleiro’s corner after 67 minutes.

Pellegrino responded by throwing on Nathan Redmond and Manolo Gabbiadini in a bid to get back into the game

But Wilson, who came on after 85 minutes, settled the tie when he clipped his shot over England keeper Forster after good work from fellow sub Michal Zyro.