Wolves under-18s made it back-to-back wins with a well-deserved victory over a young Newcastle United side on their travels in the north-east.
Two well-worked first-half goals gave Wolves a healthy lead heading into the break, but Steve Davis’ team were able to put in a positive defensive performance to hold out in the second 45 minutes and claim the three points in U18 Premier League North.
Conor Carty put Wolves ahead on 17 minutes after Hugo Bueno worked the ball down the left side before crossing the ball to Carty who had got in behind the Newcastle defence and finished beyond the keeper with a neat finish just inside the near post.
After being provider for the first, Bueno turned scorer for Wolves’ second of the afternoon when he got on the end of a Theo Corbeanu cross. Although his first effort was saved by the Magpies’ keeper, Bueno was fastest to the loose ball to poke home.
After dominating the first-half, the under-18s had some defending to do in the second period but were able to see the game out to earn their first league win since September.
REACTION
Head coach Steve Davis was pleased with the way his side performed in the first-half at the Newcastle Academy. “It was good, the first-half particularly. The second-half was a little bit different, as it usually is, and we had to do a bit more defending.
“We had less control in the second-half, but I was really pleased with the overall performance. In and out of possession we were good, we got tested second-half, but we coped with it, and the younger ones coped better with that.
“I’m really pleased with the performance and we almost won it in the first-half really with our dominance, and maybe it could have been more than two in that period.
“We’ve got to learn to be a little bit more clinical, but we can’t be disappointed with the performance today.”
COMING UP
The under-18s return to Wolverhampton for their first home match in two months as they entertain Blackburn Rovers at Compton Park on Saturday from 11am.
NEXT FIVE
07/12 Blackburn Rovers (H)
04/01 Stoke City (H)
01/02 Liverpool (A)
15/02 Sunderland (H)
22/02 Middlesbrough (H)
TEAMS
Wolves: Young, Scott, Tipton, Kandola, Estrada, Bueno, Abbey, Hodnett (Bugarin 71), Parker, Corbeanu (Harkin 82), Carty (Forrester 64).
Unused subs: Smith, Birtwistle.
Newcastle: Brown, Kamara, Oliver, Gamblin, Swailes, White, Stephenson, Gilchrist, De Bolle, Scott (Harrison 45), Reed.
Unused subs: Marshall, Midgeley, Brannen, Miley.
