ANDREW BENNETT REPORTS ON WOLVES 2-1 LOSS TO NEWCASTLE
Poor Performance Yet Again
Two stunners from the visitors empty Molineux early. A scrappy game saw Mario Lemina’s first half goal being cancelled out and the points heading to the North East.
The First Half:
The game started very disjointedly for the hosts, with Wolves getting used to a new system and Newcastle finding too much time and space on the ball. In an opening quarter with limited chances a good battle was emerging between Anthony Gordon and Semedo, the English winger getting the better of the Wolves defender and firing the first shot clipping off the edge of the post and out of play.
Wolves were slowly building into the game, with Bellegarde and Cunha doing well to drag the hosts up the pitch after sitting very deep for 20 minutes. Bellegarde hit the first shot in anger over the bar before Wolves took the lead through Lemina after a beautiful cross from Strand Larsen following a run down the right side. A huge mention must go to Joao Gomes who provided a great dummy allowing Lemina to slide the ball home.
Molineux could sense blood and Wolves had another great foray forward with the ball bouncing kindly to Lemina on the edge of the box only for the skipper to hit the ball wide. A very even half that Wolves gradually grew into saw Andre and his Brazilian international teammate stamp their authority.
The Second Half:
As Wolves started to dominate the midfield battle the second half opened with changes from Eddie Howe bringing on Tonali, Willock and Barnes to add more legs for the visitors.
Wolves started the second half 10 yards deeper and allowed the visitors far too much space, hardly getting out the Wolves defensive third for the first 10 minutes with chances falling to Bruno Guimaraes and Schar. As Gordan consistently piled on the pressure on Sam Johnstone with one shaky moment from the Wolves goalkeepers kick Gordan deflected the ball potentially sending it anywhere. From a Wolves perspective the ball fell just wide.
Wolves had a brief spell around 60 minutes where the hosts had two good chances, falling to Strand Larsen firstly hitting the post before Pope pushed an effort wide. Any Wolves effort forward felt like a rare occurrence as Newcastle dominated possession; another effort for the hosts fell to Cunha who hit the ball wide.
The visitors’ pressure was finally rewarded after a long range shot from Swiss defender Schar hitting the top corner after it deflected off a Wolves defender. A few minutes later Harvey Barnes cut inside easily beating Doherty and curled the ball into the top corner. Within 5 minutes Wolves work was undone, Barnes must love playing Wolves the former Leicester winger scoring again.
To try and change the game Wolves brought on Forbs and Guedes but it was more “chaos ball” with no shape and a lack of ideas from the forward thinking players and Dawson an auxiliary forward offering height after Strand Larsen was withdrawn, Nick Pope saving the three points for Newcastle in the dying moments after an acrobatic save from a Cunha attempt.
A disappointing afternoon and questions where the first win will come from with the next game away to Villa followed by Liverpool, Brentford (A) and City, something needs to change if Gary O’Neil’s side are to taste a Premier League victory before November.
article by Andrew Bennett
From my first Wolves match against Chelsea in 2003 I fell in love with the team and matchday experience. I work in digital marketing and have lived in Germany and Estonia over the past few years, this doesn’t stop me following Wolves and ensuring all my international friends become invested to the Wolf pack. I enjoy football, board games, a pint and travelling always excited to try new things. You will find me in the north bank on a matchday.