Newcastle United's Miguel Almiron responds to being left out of starting XI by Eddie Howe

A second-half goal from the substitute gave Eddie Howe’s side their first Premier League win in six games. Alexander Isak, recalled to the starting XI, also found the net at St James’ Park.

Isak ended a 341-minute goal drought with a first-half opener, but his strike was cancelled out by a goal after the break from visiting substitute Hwang Hee-Chan.

However, Almiron netted in the 79th minute to give Newcastle a hard-fought 2-1 win – and lift the club up to fifth place in the Premier League.

Howe, without the suspended Joelinton, had made five changes. Isak, Jacob Murphy, Allan Saint-Maximin, Joe Willock and Fabian Schar were recalled to the starting XI following three successive 2-0 league and cup defeats.

United’s head coach also revealed before the game that £45million January signing Anthony Gordon was facing several weeks on the sidelines with an ankle problem.

Almiron and Callum Wilson dropped down to the bench along with club captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Newcastle had the better of a fast-paced first 15 minutes, but they didn’t get an early breakthrough.

They had a scare in the 20th minute when Raul Jimenez went down in the box after challenging Nick Pope for the ball. The challenge enraged the Wolves bench, but referee Andrew Madley didn’t flag for a penalty – and his decision wasn’t overturned by VAR. Replays showed that the goalkepeer had caught Jimenez with his shoulder.

Newcastle got themselves ahead in the 27th minute. Kieran Trippier swung in a free-kick from the right for Trippier, and Isak got ahead of Jonny to head into the far corner of the net.

The strike lifted the roof at St James’ Park, and United came close to scoring seconds after the restart, but they couldn’t force the ball over the line during a scramble in the six-yard box.

Newcastle kept on pressing for a second goal, and Bruno Guimaraes headed against the bar after a Trippier corner was knocked back across the goal by Dan Burn.

United will have gone into the break frustrated at not having added to their advantage during a relentless spell of pressure.

Wolves head coach Julen Lopetegui replaced Adama Traore with Pedro Neto at the half-time interval, and the winger forced a fine save from Pope with a 58th-minute shot. Visiting goalkeeper Jose Sa pushed away a Trippier free-kick at the other end of the pitch.

Pope also made a second-half save to deny Joao Moutinho before Howe opted to send on Wilson and Almiron. Lopetegui sent on Hee-Chan, and he was gifted an equaliser seconds after coming on by a slip from Trippier.

Trippier’s attempted clearance struck Jimenez, and Hee-Chan finished into an empty net.

Newcastle responded in the right way. They pressed again for a goal, and Willock found Almiron to the right of goal. The midfielder took the ball on to his left foot and beat Sa with a curled strike into the far corner of the net to take his goal tally for the season to 11.

This time, there was no way back for Wolves.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock, Murphy (Ritchie, 84), Isak (Wilson, 68), Saint-Maximin (Almiron, 68).