Newcastle United’s win against Wolves wasn’t pretty but it was a ‘big’ moment in their season

This statement had been tested during their three previous defeats, but on Friday night we got yet another glimpse at the mentality shift under Eddie Howe.

The side put away any bad memories of their demolition in the capital to deliver a gutsy display against Wolves.

Newcastle weren’t at their best for long periods of the game, but they were able to nullify everything Wolves could throw at them and were the side that looked most likely to open the scoring.

There was a deafening silence around the ground as Chris Wood stepped up to take the match-winning penalty, perhaps a sense that the 52,000 in attendance recognised how crucial a moment this was in Newcastle’s season.

And the scenes after the penalty hit the back of the net, coupled with the post-match jubilation, highlighted how vital these three points were.

Speaking post-match, Newcastle United’s head coach shared these views, describing the win as a ‘big’ moment in their season:

“It feels like a big moment in our season. It’s very easy to have negative momentum and lose momentum and it’s difficult to find it [positive momentum].

“Hopefully the win tonight can kick-start that for us and we can look forward to the next home game.”

The win put Newcastle ten points above the relegation zone and is a giant leap forward towards Premier League survival.

Howe’s side, as they have shown in many of the games since his appointment, had a clear plan in both attack and defence and didn’t waver from this even when Wolves frustrated them.

They didn’t fall into the trap of giving the ball to Allan Saint-Maximin and hoping he can produce a bit of magic by himself, nor did they go completely into their shell and simply try to defend for 90 minutes.

It proved once again that Newcastle know how to close out games and win when they aren’t at their best.

Sure, Bruno Guimaraes put in a stellar display in midfield, constantly keeping the side ticking over and dictating the play, but Newcastle won on Friday night building on the foundations laid by Guimaraes, not solely because of him.

The same can be said of Saint-Maximin. He was quiet throughout the game, but as his flick to set Joelinton free in the move that resulted in Wood’s penalty, he still played a crucial role in the outcome.

But the fact that United were not overly-reliant on them shows how far they have come as a group and how far they could progress under Howe in the future.

Their Premier League status is not secure just yet but the victory against Wolves was a ‘big’ moment in their bid for survival and they can begin to look ahead to the future.

Newcastle are more of a united team than ever right now. They win as one and they lose as one and Wolves on Friday evening was the perfect example of this.