[ad_1]
Another encounter that was not the most entertaining, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team was looking to seal the victory when Raúl Jiménez finished with his fourth goal in six games.
But Murphy had the last word, beating Rui Patricio to achieve four straight 1-1 draws with the Magpies.
Wolves’ first stalemate of 2020/21 leaves them seventh in the Premier League table.
There were glimpses of Nuno’s pack advancing, but not enough. The search continues for a complete performance of over 90 minutes.
Nelson Semedo had a consistent performance on the right side, Pedro Neto impressed again and Jiménez, unsurprisingly, had a good finish that he should have won.
However, wolves, apart from Jiménez, lack a clinical advantage.
The star striker made his goal wonderfully, with a bolt from the edge of the box that was too hot to handle. But the clear opportunities were few and far between.
And the decent opportunities that came were begging. So, Patrick installed his wall wrong.
Credit to Murphy for finding the network, but he made it too easy for him.
Six games later, the Wolves are at 10 points, so there are no panic stations at all and a disjointed start to the campaign was to be expected given how short their preseason was.
Nuno, however, needs other players to step up after the losses of Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty. That is the longest and shortest.
The Wolves made only the change of ends that beat Leeds 1-0 last Monday, with Rubén Neves replacing Joao Moutinho in the middle of the park.
That meant that Max Kilman, who had just signed a new five-year contract, remained on defense and Romain Saiss remained out of position, on the left back.
Rayan Ait-Nouri entered the squad for the first time since arriving from French club Angers, but fellow summer signing Vitinha was not included in the 18 for the second straight game.
Newcastle, meanwhile, saw goalkeeper Karl Darlow pass a late fitness test and start between the posts.
The wolves had tentatively started in the few games before this one, so it was refreshing to see them start with more intent, passing it at a high pace, against the magpies.
Semedo was racing down the right flank and looking for things to happen with his pace and tricks. One such occasion saw him deftly hit Jiménez, whose first attempt went awry.
Daniel Podence and Neto, interestingly, were operating more like conventional wingers, Podence on the left and Neto on the right, rather than moving in a fluid front three as seen above.
And they were creating half chances against the extremely defensive visitors. Podence forced Darlow to make a short and short save and threw another shot over the bar after Jeff Hendrick was caught sleeping.
Neto then danced past a pair of black and white jerseys before feeding to Jiménez, who cut from the baseline and watched his left-foot strike fly past the far post.
The Wolves weren’t exactly separating Newcastle, but they still marked a step forward, largely in the first 20 minutes.
Neves regularly searched for Semedo with characteristic diagonal balls, as he used to do with Doherty, and he found him regularly. Semedo also came up with some nice touches and was bonding well with Neto.
In the end, however, the first-half goalless trend continued. The Wolves were the best team in the first 45 and Neto was a threat, but he faded towards the break.
The magpies, meanwhile, were content to sit back and try to fight back; his only shot on goal came from Allan Saint-Maximin, drifting into Patrick’s arms.
Given the tendency to escalate things after the interval, there was reason for optimism. A fantastic opportunity also came shortly after second period.
Podence came up the left and delivered a precise cross to Neto, who guided his shot from near the penalty spot just outside the goal, a fraction too high.
Neto had his head in his hands and, in desperation, he fired one well over long range a minute later.
The wolves were trying, but it wasn’t quite happening, and Nuno had a little dilemma. The game was almost clamoring for Adama Traore’s introduction, but then Podence and Neto had been the two most dangerous players in gold and black.
It was a case of whether to stay or turn and the time came, Nuno firmly went for the latter, as he arranged not one, but two changes, as Newcastle had become quite comfortable.
Traore replaced Podence, while Fernando Marcal, with much more experience as a left back, replaced Saiss.
A spark was needed, as everything had gotten slow and laborious, with the unadventurous magpies aiming to hold a point. The wolves were having enough possession, but all in front of the visiting side.
They were briefly left behind when the ball graciously fell to Neto. His effort, however, was blocked by Jamaal Lascelles.
Then came Jiménez’s magic moment: a pure and precise hit to finally beat Darlow and, apparently, seal three points for the hosts.
However, it shouldn’t be. Patricio was fooled when Murphy threw a free kick around the wall, surprisingly outscoring the Portuguese on his first post. A frustrating night for the Wolves.
Lobos (3-4-3): Patricio; Boly, Coady, Kilman; Semedo, Dendoncker, Neves (Moutinho, 82), Saiss (Marcal, 68); Neto, Jiménez, Podence (Traore, 68)
Unused subs: Ruddy (gk), Hoever, Ait-Nouri, Silva
Newcastle (5-3-2): Darlow; Murphy, Schar, Lascelles (Carroll, 88), Fernández, Lewis; Hendrick, Fraser (Joelinton, 78), Almiron; Saint-Maximin (S Longstaff, 78), Wilson
Unused Subs: Gillespie (gk), Krafth, Manquillo, Hayden
Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton)
