**Newcastle 1-0 Wolves**
**by Roger Domeneghetti**
**at St James’ Park**
NEWCASTLE started the post-Isak era with their first win of the season, and in Nick Woltemade, the scorer of the winning goal, they have a new hero.
The win was a welcome start to what Eddie Howe referred to as a “storm of games” in the rest of September. Yet, despite the Magpies’ seeming dominance, it was a less than convincing performance.
Wolves belied their status as the Premier League’s bottom club with a blistering start, Nick Pope was forced to make two saves before a minute as on the clock, first from Rodrigo Gomes then from Hwang Hee-chan.
After that, Newcastle slowly began to exert a measure of control over the game, but they rarely dominated it. Wolves always posed a threat and they ended the game the stronger.
The Magpies’ boss Eddie Howe acknowledged that the result was more important than the performance. “We needed to win today. You need to work out how you are going to do it. Wolves were solid and made it very difficult for us and it was a nervy end.”
With the protracted saga over Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool finished, the game felt like the start of the new chapter, yet Newcastle’s starting XI contained just one summer signing: Woltemade.
It’s unlikely the lanky German would have started had Yoane Wissa not been injured while on international duty in midweek, but he took the opportunity afforded him, making his presence felt in subtle ways. He made cute layoffs, he tackled back, and he grabbed a well-earned debut goal.
Despite his six-foot five-inch height, Woltemade is not known for his aerial threat. Here he made no mistake, rising between Emmanuel Agbadou and Hugo Bueno to head home Jacob Murphy’s cross, just before the half hour mark.
“It was a great moment for Nick,” said Howe. “I was very pleased for how he played today. Most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box you have to be there.”
The performance demonstrated the team can function without Isak. Could they function as well without Sandro Tonali? While Woltemade will grab the headlines, it was the Italian’s calming presence in midfield that ultimately made the difference.
“He covered every blade today,” said Howe, who praised Tonali’s ability to read the game. “He was putting out a lot of fire on transitions.”
With their first win chalked up, Newcastle can now turn their attention to midweek, and the small matter of a Champions League home tie against Barcelona in a positive mindset.