Hwang Hee-chan’s 71st-minute effort secured Wolverhampton Wanderers a point in Saturday’s entertaining 2-2 draw with Newcastle United at Molineux in the Premier League.
The Magpies twice led in the late start, with Callum Wilson netting a brace, but Mario Lemina scored the home side’s first in the 36th minute, before Hwang registered the game’s fourth goal 19 minutes from time.
The result has seen Wolves move into 12th position in the Premier League table, now boasting 12 points from their opening 10 matches, while Newcastle remain sixth on 17 points from their first 10 games of the 2023-24 campaign.
A wonderful delivery from Kieran Trippier into the Wolves box in the third minute landed on the head of Anthony Gordon, but the attacker could not direct his effort towards the target.
The home side were threatening down the other end due to the running power of Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha, meanwhile, with both players causing problems.
Rayan Ait-Nouri sent one over the Newcastle goal in the sixth minute, before Sean Longstaff just missed the target with a low strike down the other end of the field, with both sides having their moments during an even start to the clash at Molineux.
Cunha brought a smart save from Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope in the 19th minute, but the visitors managed to take the lead in the 22nd minute through Wilson, who found the back of the net with a clever effort after seeing his initial strike blocked by Wolves defender Toti Gomes.
Pope made another stop to deny Cunha in the 28th minute, with the forward’s pace and power again causing problems, but he was unable to find the finish.
Newcastle’s goalkeeper was again called into action in the 36th minute to keep out a powerful strike from Neto, but Wolves managed to score from the resulting set piece, with Lemina heading Neto’s delivery into the back of the net after proving to be too strong for Trippier.
There was a VAR check for a possible penalty late in the first period, with Hee-chan kicking through Fabian Schar inside the box, and the referee eventually pointed to the spot.
Wilson stepped up for Newcastle, and he just about managed to find the back of the net despite the best efforts of Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, who got a hand on the ball.
Sa managed to keep out a strike from Joelinton late in the first period, with Newcastle entering the half-time break ahead courtesy of a controversial spot kick.
Nelson Semedo brought a smart save from Pope in the 55th minute, before the Magpies goalkeeper was then called into action to deny Cunha from a narrow angle.
Wolves deservedly levelled the scores in the 71st minute, though, with Hwang showing wonderful footwork inside the box to move past Dan Burn before picking out the near post.
Neto pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the 74th minute when he was driving into the Newcastle box, and he was substituted in the 77th minute, with the forward now potentially set for another long spell on the sidelines.
Schar headed a cross from Trippier just wide of the Wolves post in the 80th minute, but both sides were looking for the winner late on at Molineux, with the fourth official signalling that eight minutes would be added on.
Newcastle put the pressure on with a series of deliveries into the box, while Schar had a goal-bound strike blocked, but Wolves held on to secure a share of the spoils.
The visitors will now switch their attention to the EFL Cup, heading to Manchester United in the last-16 stage of the competition on Wednesday night, while Wolves will be back in Premier League action away to struggling Sheffield United next Saturday.
