Hwang's late strike earns Wolves dramatic draw against Newcastle

Home side come from behind twice to extend their Premier League unbeaten run to five matches

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-chan, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal in the 2-2 Premier League draw with Newcastle United at Molineux Stadium on October 28, 2023. AP

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-Chan scores his side's second goal. PA

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto leaves the game on a stretcher after picking up a hamstring injury. AFP

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto lies on the pitch after pulling his hamstring. PA

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-Chan celebrates scoring his side's second goal. PA

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Hwang Hee-Chan celebrates scoring the equaliser. PA

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson scores their second goal from the penalty spot. AFP

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson celebrates after scoring their second goal from the penalty spot. AFP

Newcastle's Callum Wilson scores their second goal from a penalty. AFP

Callum Wilson of Newcastle United celebrates with teammates Joelinton and Fabian Schaer after scoring the second goal. Getty Images

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson score their first goal of the game. AFP

Newcastle United's Callum Wilson scores their first goal. Action Images

Callum Wilson of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring the team's first goal. Getty Images

Mario Lemina of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates after scoring the team's first goal. Getty Images

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Mario Lemina scores their first goal. PA

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Mario Lemina scores their opener. PA

Newcastle United's Dan Burn is shown a yellow card by referee Anthony Taylor. Reuters

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall. EPA

Hwang Hee-chan’s seventh goal of the season earned Wolves a point as they twice came from behind in a 2-2 draw at home against Newcastle.

Callum Wilson scored a first-half brace for the visitors, including a controversial penalty, to move on to seven goals from just nine Premier League appearances but it was not enough against a determined Wolves side who seemed to take inspiration from a sense of injustice in a feisty second half.

Wilson, starting in place of the injured Alexander Isak, acrobatically capitalised on a Jose Sa error to put Newcastle in front 22 minutes in but Mario Lemina, back in the Wolves side after suspension, headed the hosts level with his first goal in old gold 14 minutes later.

Wolves then fumed when Anthony Taylor pointed to the post on the stroke of half-time, with minimal apparent contact when Hwang was guilty of a loose touch in his own box and Fabian Schar went down as he stepped in to take possession.

Wilson kept his cool through a lengthy VAR check and ignored the jeers to put Newcastle back in front despite Sa getting a strong hand to the spot-kick, but Hwang would make amends in the 71st minute with an equaliser that extends Wolves’ unbeaten run to five.

Newcastle made the trip south coming off a 1-0 Champions League home defeat to Borussia Dortmund and still reeling from the loss of Sandro Tonali, serving the first game of a 10-month ban for betting offences.

They were inches away from an early opener when Joelinton dropped deep to receive Kieran Trippier’s pass and feed Sean Longstaff who hesitated on a cross and instead slipped a low shot narrowly wide.

But Wolves, who had won only two of their previous 16 Premier League matches against the Magpies, were applying pressure of their own with some confident play, yet struggling to test Nick Pope.

It was almost against the run of play that Wilson put Newcastle in front in the 22nd minute. Sa came but failed to collect Anthony Gordon’s cross, colliding with Boubacar Traore, and though Wilson’s first shot was blocked by Toti the ball bounced up and Wilson turned it home.

Wolves responded well, with Cunha twice denied before Pedro Neto cut inside and forced Pope to push his shot over. The hosts levelled from the resulting corner as Lemina got the right side of Trippier at the far post to head in Neto’s delivery.

But Newcastle were awarded a contentious penalty on the stroke of half-time, with Schar appearing to kick the turf as he tumbled over when challenging Hwang.

Contact looked minimal and there was a lengthy check from VAR Jarred Gillett before Taylor’s decision was upheld and Wilson restored Newcastle’s lead.

Wolves were screaming for a spot-kick of their own in first-half stoppage time after Pope came out of his box and failed to gather, but there was only the slightest graze of the ball against the fingers of Bruno Guimaraes as he challenged Cunha.

Wolverhampton blood pressures continued to rise early in the second half as a string of decisions went Newcastle’s way and the game became scrappy.

The home fans wanted a red card when Lascelles stopped the run of Hwang as he tried to go through on goal, but Taylor deemed a yellow sufficient.

That frustration was relieved in the 71st minute when Hwang made up for conceding the penalty with a fine equaliser, played in by Toti and leaving Dan Burn in a heap before rifling home.

Neto powered forward again in the 74th minute but just as he looked ready to pull the trigger he pulled up holding his hamstring, and neither side could find a winner at a damp Molineux.

Wolves hero Hwang said after the match: "I feel a little strange. After I gave them a penalty I felt so sad so I really wanted to do something for my team. After the first half, everybody said to me 'you can do it, keep going'. They gave me trust. I scored again and I am so happy to help the team.

"Very difficult to say after the game about the penalty. I tried to clear the ball and saw someone block me for the ball. After that, I stopped and I think he touched me. I think it's not a penalty, but he made the decision. All I can do is try to do something for the team by scoring a goal.

"My goals comes from my team. Wed work hard and understand each other. Thank you to my team-mates and the fans."