Wolves under-18s were well-beaten by Newcastle United at Compton Park, despite taking the lead early on through Josh Esen.
James McPike’s side opened the scoring inside 10 minutes, but three goals in each half saw the visitors come out on top and claim the points.
The old gold broke the deadlock following some good work down the right-hand side from the trialist which saw him beat his man with clever feet, before picking out Esen who met a driven cross and turned home from close range.
Five minutes later, Newcastle drew level when they pressed Wolves and won the ball back on the edge of the box, before Shaun Mavidi slotted home the equaliser.
Wolves responded well when the trialist latched onto Conor McLeod’s through ball and hit the side netting with a right-footed shot while, minutes later, a neat passing move resulted in the pair combining again, as McLeod picked out the trialist at the back post but he scuffed his shot and it was a comfortable save for Aidan Harris.
On the half hour mark, Newcastle turned the game on its head when Luke Craggs’ looping header at the back post went across goal and found the back of the net.
With 10 minutes of the first half remaining, Wolves had a free-kick in a dangerous area and Esen went in search of his second of the game as he bent a right-footed shot around the wall and into the side netting.
Minutes before the break, the visitors scored their third when Jonny Emerson cut inside and found the back of the net with a powerful strike, giving them a two-goal lead at the interval.
Half-time | Wolves 1-3 Newcastle
McPike made a couple of substitutions at the break as Wolves looked to start the second half on the front foot and get back into the match.
However, it was Newcastle who picked up where they left off when Darren Palmer dribbled into the box and fired home their fourth.
Wolves continued to battle hard and kept on pushing but found it hard to break down a resolute defence.
Instead, it was the Toon who went on and increased their lead when Anthony Munda’s left-footed shot found the bottom corner to make it five, before Sean Neave added a sixth deep into added time with the last kick of the game.
Full time | Wolves 1-6 Newcastle
REACTION
James McPike was disappointed with the performance but suggested that, whilst it’s ‘no excuse’, the players looked tired after a physical battle on Wednesday night against Stourbridge and will continue working hard to improve and pick themselves up for the next game and aim to be more competitive.
On the performance overall
“It’s a difficult one to take, I still thought we had periods of play first half and the second half but it’s easier to do that when the scoreline was what it was.”
On room for improvement
“That’s the risk sometimes you take, a lapse in concentration at the back and then a set piece where you’ve got win your headers and compete.
“I say it every week but regardless of the result, win, lose or draw, they have to get better at competing and running hard - that’s what we are working on and trying to get better at because we know we can play but when it gets really tough that’s where they have to show a bit more character.
“That’s the risk you take trying to develop young players at this level, they need to understand that and try and stay positive and focus on what they need to get better at whilst not getting too disheartened at losing the game.”
On playing two games in three days
“It’s challenging for them, it’s no excuse but a lot of them played on Wednesday night against a men’s side and Newcastle came here strong today so it’s not a good combination.
“We looked tired in the mind and tired physically, but that’s the job they are going into. They have to be able to play twice a week and you see how stacked up the first-team get and how other teams get playing Tuesdays and Saturdays - that’s the world they are going into.
“We have to recover, focus and keep on trying to improve, that’s all we can do.”
On next week’s game against Sunderland
“We need to keep focusing on running hard, and being competitive and strong, trying to win headers, and all those bits of the game.
“If we can do that part of the game and be hard to beat, we saw last week we can play football so it’s focusing on those things and picking them up because they will be disappointed and trying to prepare the best we can.”
NEXT FIVE
Sunderland 25/02 (A)
Blackburn Rovers 04/03 (H)
Everton 07/03 (A)
Sunderland 11/03 (H)
Man City 18/03 (H)
TEAMS
Wolves | Storer, Diomande (Scicluna 46), Mabete (White 60), Rees, Carson, Igbinoghene, Trialist (Salmon 68), Harper, Esen (Ji 46), McLeod, Reynolds (Edozie 72).
Newcastle | Harris, Powell (Beresford 76), Charlton, Harrison, Watts, Craggs, Palmer, Bailey, Mavididi (Donaldson 52) Munda, Emerson (Neave 87).
Subs not used | Bryant, Harrison.
