Nolan scored in the 90th minute to give Newcastle a 2-1 win over Doncaster Rovers, the result sending United back to the top of the Championship.

However, the win came at a cost, with Zurab Khizanishvili being dismissed for grabbing Billy Sharp by the throat, and the defender could now miss injury-hit Newcastle's next three games through suspension if it is confirmed he was sent off for violent conduct.

Hughton, already without Steven Taylor, was deprived of Fabricio Coloccini and Danny Simpson on the eve of the game, and he handed a full league debut to 19-year-old defender Tamas Kadar.

And it was a clearance from Kadar which led to Rovers' opener, the ball being worked to Sharp, who crossed for Dean Shiels to tap the ball into the United net.

Things didn't improve for Newcastle, and Jonas Gutierrez was guilty of an astonishing miss, the winger blazing over after Nolan had a header stopped on the line.

Carroll put the ball wide early in the second half, and it was a no surprise to see Marlon Harewood, again disappointing, withdrawn at the hour mark to a chorus of boos, with his replacement – Nile Ranger – being cheered on to the pitch.

Newcastle's breakthrough came in the 67th minute, when Danny Guthrie chipped a ball into the box for Carroll, who smashed a volley past Neil Sullivan to level the scores.

Ex-Sunderland midfielder Martin Woods missed a penalty conceded by a Ryan Taylor handball, and Khizanishvili got his marching orders after the intervention of the linesman after he pushed Sharp away from a confrontation with Kadar.

And the drama wasn't over, with Carroll rolling the ball to Nolan for his injury-time winner.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper; R Taylor, Khizanishvili, Kadar, Enrique; Guthrie, Nolan, Butt, Gutierrez (Tozer, 87); Harewood (Ranger, 60), Carroll. Subs not used: Krul, Donaldson, Geremi, Ngo Baheng, Lovenkrands.
DONCASTER ROVERS: Sullivan; O'Connor, Shackell, Hird, Chambers; Coppinger (Hayter, 78), Shiels, Gillett (Oster, 66), Woods; Sharp (Guy, 86), Fortune. Subs not used: Woods, Spicer, Dumbuya, Heffernan.
Goals: Shiels 18, Carroll 67, Nolan 90
Booked: Shiels, O'Connor, Sharp, Butt, Harewood, Nolan, Chambers
Sent off: Khizanishvili
Attendance: 43,949
Referee: Darren Deadman (Cheshunt)