Jody Craddock

BLAKE OPENER
NOT ENOUGH
TO EARN ALL 3 PTS

29th November 2003 | Wolves 1 Newcastle 1

 This was a game in which Wolves had to improve on last weeks inept under-par performance at Goodison. Wolves did improve, winning a well-deserved point and missing enough chances to win two games, never mind this one.

 Wolves have been dogged with injuries all season and thinks took a bigger dent today with the news that Captain Paul Ince would miss the game through injury, Keith Andrews made his first start of the season in the Captains place.

 Colin Cameron and Hassan Kachloul failed fitness tests whilst Murray is a few months away from full fitness, Lescott will miss the whole season and Ndah needs yet another operation.

 Newcastle, looking for revenge after being dumped out of the FA Cup at Molineux last year started the brighter, and it was Alan Shearer who almost struck first blood.

 The Wolves defense, who were impressive on the whole fell asleep as Hughes chipped a lovely ball towards the far post where Shearer smashed the ball against the bar from 8yrds.

 This appeared to be the wake-up call Wolves needed as things from the Gold prospective started to look brighter.

 Jody Craddock hit a smashing volley just wide before Welsh International Nathan Blake took the lead.

 Joey Gudjonsson hit a long searching ball forward and Blake clipped the ball past the on-rushing Given and, with his second touch, smashed the ball into the net.

 Newcastle came back pressing and Alan Shearer, who played his first ever game at Newcastle in that FA Cup game last season drew the sides level.

 Lua Lua played a lovely ball past the back four and the former England International swept the ball past Oakes to the delight of the 3,000 traveling fans.

 Nathan Blake was again through two minutes before half time, but he was wrestled to the ground by Woodgate, the referee claimed he hadn`t seen an infringement, the referee was wrong and Woodgate stayed on the pitch.

 Newcastle bossed the second half, but it was Wolves who came the closest to scoring on two occasions, the cross bar being in the way on both chances.

 Firstly, the impressive Joey Gudjonsson smashed the ball with a superb free-kick from 25 yrds and Henri Camara hit the bar in injury time following a great cross from ex-Sunderland Man Alex Rae.

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Wolves: Oakes, Naylor, Irwin, Butler, Craddock, Kennedy, Andrews, Rae, Camara, Gudjonsson, Blake
Attendance:29,331