Boly last-gasp leap breaks Toon hearts
WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 1
WILLY BOLY snatched a point for Wolves with a last-gasp header last night.
Poor old Newcastle just could not hold on after Isaac Hayden’s 56th-minute goal looked like being enough for a memorable away win.
But Wolves had other ideas and when Adama Traore slung a cross over to the far post, Boly somehow got his head to it above keeper Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle looked stunned. Hayden goals come around about as often as Geordies with a good word to say about Mike Ashley.
The Newcastle owner could not hide his delight up in the stand as the midfielder grabbed his first goal of the season.
That might be about it for this campaign – Hayden’s last and only goal of last season came back in October 2017.
Hayden cashed in on a quick break from Fabian Schar and was then helped by Rui Patricio who seemed totally foxed by his shot, the Wolves keeper just helping it on its way in.
Delighted Toon fans also got to see new record signing Miguel Almiron who came on as a late substitute.
The £21million Paraguayan got a rapturous reception when he entered the action.
Wolves might have created the most chances in the opening 45 minutes but it was Newcastle who came closest to breaking the deadlock right on the stroke of half-time.
Salomon Rondon had two decent opportunities to put Newcastle in front – the first on 40 minutes when Hayden found him eight yards out.
But the big striker’s header was straight at the keeper. Minutes later he could hardly believe his luck as Conor Coady somehow got a foot in to deflect a goal-bound effort away for a corner.
The defender only had a split second to make his intervention but he timed it to perfection and slid in to get just enough on it to snuff out the danger.
It was Rondon who had forced Patricio to save low down with an angled shot just five minutes into the game. But for the bulk of the time in between it was the home side who looked favourites to take the lead.
Raul Jimenez was at the centre of most of it, first sending a powerful shot over and then having a follow-up effort saved low down by Dubravka.
The Toon keeper also had to move smartly to beat away a Jonny shot which flew across the surface at some pace. Within minutes of the turnaround it was the home side who came within a whisker when only the quick thinking of Matt Ritchie whisked the ball away from Matt Doherty’s header a yard out.
But the Geordies refused to play second fiddle and their resilience paid off when they sprung the Wolves back line to devastating effect and Hayden cashed in, only for Boly to ruin their hopes.
WOLVES (3-5-2): Patricio 5; Bennett 6, Coady 7, Boly 6; Doherty 7 (Traore 81, 5), Neves 7, Moutinho 7, Dendoncker 6 (Costa 69, 5), Jonny 7; Jota 7(Cavaleiro 79, 5), Jimenez 7. Booked:
Jota. Goal: Boly 90. NEXT UP: Bristol City (a), Sun FA Cup.
NEWCASTLE (5-4-1): Dubravka 7; Yedlin 7, Schar 7, Lascelles 7, Lejeune 6, Ritchie 7; Longstaff 6, Hayden 8 (Diame 86, 5), Atsu 7(Almiron 72, 6), Perez 7 (Manquillo 90); Rondon 8.
Booked: Schar, Lascelles, Ritchie. Goal: Hayden 56. NEXT UP: Huddersfield (h), Feb 23 PL.
Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire).