Wolves 4 (Johnson 1, Wilson 10, 62, 80)
Newcastle United 1 (Longstaff-pen 59)
Despite having to spend long spells on the backfoot and having to play the final 30 minutes with ten men, Wolves were deadly on the break as they put four past Newcastle with Donavan Wilson helping himself to a hat-trick.
Wolves made a perfect start to the game scoring after just 36 seconds. From the start Wanderers won a corner and when Connor Ronan lifted the ball into the middle Connor Johnson was there to head powerfully past Freddie Woodman in the visitors goal.
United looked to hit back and they forced three successive corners. From the last of them Wolves broke to double their lead in the tenth minute. When the ball was pumped upfield Bright Enobakhare won a header to release Wilson who drew the keeper before confidently finding the net.
Harry Burgoyne had to race from his line and save at the feet of Elias Sorensen and then Wolves were close to a third when Woodman just got his fingers to a low, angled drive from Ronan.
Ross Finnie’s foul on Sean Longstaff gave Newcastle a free-kick opportunity from just outside the area but Callum Roberts saw his attempt bounce away off the defensive wall. Shortly afterwards Aaron Simpson was booked for a foul on Jack Hunter.
Newcastle were pressing hard and Dan Barlaser was close with a shot from 20-yards that took a hefty deflection. Then, in stoppage time, a corner was only half cleared and Stuart Findlay was presented with a clear shot at goal but, from the corner of the six-yard box, he ballooned the ball over the bar.
Half-Time: Wolves 2 Newcastle 0
Burgoyne did well to cut out a fierce cross-shot from Jamie Holmes before Wolves replied with a pair of corners from Ronan.
Sorensen found the back of the Wolves net in the 55th minute but his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. However, four minutes later, after Joe Delacoe had replaced Will Randall in the home side, the Geordies did cut the arrears as Wolves found themselves down to ten men.
Simpson pulled back Holmes deep in the home area and a second yellow card was quickly followed by a red before Longstaff sent Burgoyne the wrong way from the spot.
Scott Sellars immediately shored up his defence by sending on Hakeem Odoffin for Enobakhare.
In the 62nd minute, the two goal cushion was restored when Delacoe pulled the ball back for the predatory Wilson to fire into the corner of the net from 15-yards (pictured).
Newcastle looked certain to score a second in the 67th minute when Longstaff picked up the ball just a yard out but Burgoyne spread himself brilliantly to block with a defender completing the clearance.
Anthony Breslin then found himself in the book without having entered the field of play. He was warming up on the touchline when he kicked the ball away after Newcastle had won a throw-in.
Roberts had a good chance from just inside the area but his drive went straight into the arms of the Wolves keeper.
In the 80th minute Ronan’s cross was pushed away by a defender directly to Wilson who took aim and completed his hat-trick in a somewhat flattering 4-1 Wolves victory.
Wolves: Burgoyne, Simpson, Deslandes (Breslin 89), Finnie, Johnson, Leak, Wilson, Ronan (capt), Enobakhare (Odoffin 60), Gibbs-White, Randall (Delacoe 57).
Unused subs: Upton, McKenna.
Bookings: Simpson (34 – foul), Breslin (68 – kicking ball away whilst warming up), Johnson (73 – foul).
Sending-Off: Simpson (58 – foul, second bookable offence).
Magpies: Woodman, Newberry, Gibson, Hunter, Good (capt), Findlay, Holmes, Barlaser, Sorensen (Charman 69), Longstaff, Roberts (El-Mahanni 85).
Unused subs: Baroccoci, Harker, Satka.
Referee: J. Johnson.
Attendance: 269.
