Matt Doherty struck a late winner deep into stoppage time as Wolves won back-to-back games and condemned ten-man Newcastle to a seventh home Premier League defeat this season.
After a tame quarter of an hour, Diogo Jota was given the freedom of Tyneside by the Newcastle defense as he chested down and volleyed through Martin Dubravka from Helder Costa's cross.
The home side were soon level though, as Salomon Rondon's fierce free-kick smacked against the crossbar, only for the Venezuelan to collect the rebound and whip the ball in for Ayoze Perez who glanced a header beyond Rui Patricio.
Newcastle continued to dominate the first half after the goal as Wolves were sloppy in possession and offered little threat going forward.
All of Newcastle's hard work was undone, however, early in the second half. DeAndre Yedlin was caught on the ball and hauled down the onrushing Jota, who was clear through on goal, and rightfully received a red card.
From then on Wolves made their numerical advantage count, as substitute Raul Jimenez rattled the crossbar and Doherty drew a fine save from Dubravka.
A 94th minute winner looks like this...#NEWWOL pic.twitter.com/lpNMS52XsC
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 9, 2018
A moment of controversy left Newcastle fans seething, as Willy Boly caught Perez with a clear elbow in the face, leaving the Magpies forward in a heap, yet Mike Dean failed to award a spot-kick.
Finally it was the Wolves' wing-back who had the last word, as he headed home the rebound from Jota's 94th minute effort to spark jubilant celebrations amongst the away side.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Key Talking Point
The Magpies managed four shots on target in the first half, with only Manchester United having managed more in a first half of Premier League football this season. That said, their failure to make those statistics count cost them dearly, leaving Rafael Benitez staring down at another home defeat.
With the possibility of Mike Ashley selling the club in the coming weeks, it's clear that whoever takes ownership will need to invest heavily in a squad severely lacking in quality.
Rondon's tenacity at the top end of the pitch will have pleased Benitez, however a combination of awful defending and an inability to hit the back of the net may leave Newcastle in another potential relegation scrap.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: Dubravka (6); Yedlin (4), Fernandez (6), Lascelles (5), Clark (5), Ritchie (6), Ki (6), Diame (6), Atsu (6), Perez (7), Rondon (7)
Substitutes: Manquillo (6), Joselu (N/A), Kenedy (N/A)
Star Man - Salomon Rondon
Rondon nearly scored a fantastic free kick, only to see it crash off the underside of the bar. His attitude was summed up in his determination to collect the rebound and deliver a great cross for Perez to score the equaliser.
4 - Salomón Rondón has been directly involved in four of Newcastle's last six Premier League goals (3 goals, 1 assist), including the last three in a row at St James' Park. King. #NEWWOL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 9, 2018
His work rate is there for all to see as he tirelessly pressed the Wolves' backline. Understandably he ran out of steam and was subbed for Joselu late on.
Worst Player - DeAndre Yedlin
Unsurprisingly, the American full-back claims this unwanted award. His team were the better side throughout the match until he correctly received his marching orders from Mike Dean. Being caught in possession by Jota to then cynically haul him down cost his side dearly in the end.
In situations like that it is often times better to rely on your goalkeeper to make a save as opposed to giving the referee no option. He opted for the latter.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Key Talking Point
After their excellent midweek win over Chelsea, Wolves should have come into this game full of confidence. However, they looked uninspired, particularly in the first half, despite taking the lead.
The decision to not play Morgan Gibbs-White from the beginning was bemusing, especially following his recent excellent displays, as Wolves lacked control in midfield.
Nonetheless, Nuno Espirito Santo's team will take solace from this last-gasp win with the thought that the sign of a good team is when they can win matches without playing well.
Source: 90min