Rafa Benitez hits out after Newcastle United are held at Molineux

Rafa Benitez.Rafa Benitez.
Rafa Benitez.
Rafa Benitez demanded more protection for his players after Newcastle United conceded an agonising late goal at Molineux.

A controversial strike Willy Boly saw Wolverhampton Wanderers claim a point from a 1-1 draw tonight.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Benitez felt that goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was fouled by Boly, who escaped a red card after elbowing Ayoze Perez in December's meeting between the two sides at St James's Park.

That game ended in a 2-1 defeat for Newcastle, who conceded a 94th minute goal.

Boly's 95th-minute strike, from a deep Adama Traore cross, came five minutes into added time after fourth official Simon Hooper and held up a board showing that four more minutes were to be played at Molineux.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The strike cancelled out a goal earlier in the half from Isaac Hayden.

"You have to be really disappointed with the way we conceded in both games against this team," said Benitez, United's manager.

"In the first game there was an elbow in the face of my player, a penalty not given, then it was really disappointing to concede in this way against a good team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“In England, they don’t understand the rules – you can say whatever you want to say.

“It was maybe a foul before too. You can say many things like the 94 minutes, but it will not change what happened. Like the first game, we couldn’t say too much and it didn’t change what happened.

“It doesn’t change anything, like the first game didn’t change anything when we had a player with a broken nose.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The first game we had a player with a broken nose, we conceded in the last minute and we should have had a penalty and there should have been a red card, but nobody said anything.

“The situation is to protect the goalkeeper, so you're supposed to protect the keeper. We have been here for years, and it's very difficult to explain that.”

The result has left Newcastle 16th in the Premier League and a point above the relegation zone.