Newcastle 1 Wolves 0: Chris Wood’s first goal at St James’ Park fires Toon one step closer to Premier League safety
GOLF isn’t for everyone – but there can’t have been many who hadn’t switched over to the Masters by the time of Chris Wood’s winner.
The Toon Army inside St James’ Park had been bored stiff for 72 minutes of an instantly forgettable game.
But if Woods’ penalty is the goal which keeps the Magpies up, nobody on Tyneside will give a damn what came before it.
After three defeats on the bounce, it would have been squeaky bum time if Newcastle were rolled over again.
Luckily for Eddie Howe, Wolves were abysmal – looking like anything but a side still with an outside shot of gatecrashing the top four.
Not that Newcastle ever really threatened to break the deadlock.
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The game had 0-0 written all over it until the Magpies burst into life on the counter as the clock ticked on.
Allan Saint-Maximin started it with a superb touch around the corner to the onrushing Joelinton, who played Wood in.
Jose Sa came charging out but took the Kiwi striker out after he knocked it past him.
And Wood got up to hammer the penalty down the middle and notch just his second Newcastle goal since his January move from Burnley.
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Victory – their fourth in a row at St James’ Park – moves Newcastle ahead of Brentford into 14th, 10 points clear of the bottom three with seven games remaining.
A couple more points and that is survival surely guaranteed for the Saudi Mags.
Wolves had a great chance to keep the heat on those above them in the hunt for the top four but never came to the party – and that is now surely their race for the Champions League run.
Newcastle started brightly but were rocked when winger Ryan Fraser pulled up clutching his hamstring and was replaced by Miguel Almiron 13 minutes in.
Frenzied but seriously lacking in quality, the first 10 minutes set the tone for a horrendous game.
A bit of Samba magic can soon change that though, with Bruno Guimaraes to the fore to liven up proceedings.
No other Newcastle player could deliver the cute through ball he played to Almiron in the box, and the hosts were in.
The Paraguayan returned it with a lovely backheel and Bruno’s cross was swept home by Chris Wood following some horrendous goalline defending.
St James’ was bouncing under the lights as Bruno Lage lost his rag on the touchline – only for the Portuguese to be saved by VAR with Bruno inches offside.
Unfortunately that didn’t provide the spark the game desperately needed, with swathes of punters heading off long before half-time for a pint to try and instantly forget what they had just watched.
At least Newcastle were pushing – Wolves were slow, sloppy, lethargic and plain woeful in the opening 45 minutes.
Slow, sloppy and lethargic, you wouldn’t know they still had an outside shot of gatecrashing the top four.
They seemed to have got the memo at the break though, playing with more zip and ambition in the opening five minutes of the second half then they had done the whole of the first.
At the other end, 52 minutes in, there was FINALLY a shot on target – however tame it was from Dan Burn straight at Jose Sa.
This was slightly better on the fun front, but still light years away from a good game.
On the hour, fed up Newcastle legend Alan Shearer tweeted: “Any danger of some energy or drive?”
Allan Saint-Maximin does fun better than almost anyone else in the league, but he was having a bigger mare than most and lashed into the top of the Gallowgate when it opened up.
The crowd were getting frustrated with their mercurial winger yet it was his touch of class which enabled the winner.
A deft flick around the corner on the halfway line to Joelinton, the Brazilian was in behind Wolves and slipped Wood in.
The Kiwi knocked it past Sa before being wiped out by the keeper, with ref Peter Banks pointing straight to the spot.
VAR were happy with this one, and Wood coolly smashed his second Mags goal down the middle.
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Wolves had to do something now, with their two best chances falling towards the end to Fabio Silva.
But he headed a good chance harmlessly wide before keeper Martin Dubravka got down superbly to his right to save a 20-yard stinger.