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
Monday 29 August 2022 10:05, UK
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.
Newcastle were perhaps fortunate Schar's booking was not upgraded to a red card when he appeared to go in high on Neto in one of the game's major flashpoints, but the defender survived a VAR check and Newcastle continued to have the better of the possession and territory.
Wolves remained a threat on the break, however, and thought they had wrapped up the win when Jimenez converted a Neto cross following an 81st-minute breakaway, only for VAR to penalise Neto for a foul on Ryan Fraser in the build-up.
Newcastle kept pushing and got their reward when Saint-Maximin, who had been well shackled for most of the contest, crashed home their equaliser, but Anderson's late miss left them feeling they could have had three points rather than one. Wolves, aggrieved by decisions which went against them, will feel the same.
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves to Sky Sports: "Their style of play is just long balls and second balls. They are not a team that wants to have possession too much. We knew that. We prepared really well for that.
"In the end, it's details. When Neto almost broke his leg and the ref didn't go to the screen, that's one detail. Another detail is that we score a second goal and the ref went to the screen.
"A lot of meetings before the season starts, every time, but then when you see our player almost breaking his leg on that tackle, and the referee doesn't go to the screen, we ask, why so many meetings?
"Everyone sees it on the TV. 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 manager Bruno Lage: "I think we deserved more the three points. It's hard to go inside and see the frustration of my players because it was an unlucky goal, and then the other decisions, VAR every time was against us, so that causes frustration."
Of Neves' comments, he added: "I have to agree with the player. 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.
"It should have been red card in my opinion. In the other situation, the referee comes to watch and take a decision about the goal. Why didn't he come to take a decision about this one?"
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe to Sky Sports: "Mixed emotions for me. First half, I thought we weren't particularly great. That was frustrating because I thought we could have imposed ourselves more.
"But then very pleased with the second half. We penned them in and we had a number of chances and arguably should have won the game.
"I thought we controlled the game with the ball in the second half. We made better decisions around the box. We didn't have our normal rhythm in the first half.
"But delighted with our never-say-die attitude. We were never beaten today, right until the end, and full credit to the players for that.
"I thought we did enough to win it in the second half. But we hadn't got the goal, so we were chasing the game for a long period.
"When you're that long behind, to get a goal is a boost and a great feeling for everybody."
Liverpool host Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday at Anfield; kick-off 8pm. Bournemouth are at home to Wolves on the same night at the Vitality Stadium; kick-off 7.30pm.
