Newcastle United head coach ‘really pleased’ with Chris Wood’s performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers

NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe has praised Chris Wood’s “broad shoulders” as the January signing proved Newcastle United’s Premier League matchwinner. The New Zealand international won the penalty that proved decisive in the 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday evening. Wood then stepped up to slot home the only goal of the game from 12 yards to take Howe’s Magpies 10 points clear of the top-flight drop zone ahead of a busy weekend of encounters at the bottom of the top-flight table.

The winner, a confident strike sending Wolves’ keeper Jose Sa the wrong way, came after Wood had seen what looked like a perfectly well-taken strike chalked out for offside by video assistant referee officials. And Howe has praised the player for his confidence after the disappointment of seeing only his second goal in black and white ruled out. Howe said: “When you haven’t scored in front of your supporters, I think that it can be difficult.

He was really challenged, as he scored what he thought — we all thought — was a good goal, and then it was cut away from him. He must have thought at that moment, ‘When’s it going to come?’ There was a lot of pressure on his shoulders, but I thought he struck the penalty really well. That was a big, big thing for him.” Wood has struggled to justify his hefty January price tag since arriving from Burnley for around $32 million at the turn of the year.