Rafa Rage
Benitez fumes says Prem ‘don’t understand the rules’ after Wolves’ dubious equaliser
The Toon boss was furious Wolves' late leveller was not ruled out for a foul on Martin Dubravka to deny his side three vital points at Molineux
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RAFA BENITEZ claimed English refs don’t know what they are doing when it comes to protecting goalkeepers.
The Magpies boss looked on in horror as Wolves defender Willy Boly outmuscled his 6ft3in Slovakian stopper Martin Dubravka to nod home a dramatic last-gasp leveller, five minutes into stoppage time to earn Wolves a draw.
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Boly appeared to pin down Dubravka and prevent him from fully extending his arms as the keeper failed dismally to nail Adama Traore’s deep delivery to his back post.
Benitez believes anywhere else in Europe that would have resulted in a foul and felt his keeper was impeded.
But confessed he never expected referee Graham Scott to see it his way.
“In England they don’t understand the rules so you can say whatever you want to say,” he rapped.
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Wolves 1-1 Newcastle - Willy Boly heads controversial Wolves equaliser in 95th minute to leave Newcastle fuming
“They were pushing, we could do better.
"Just punch the ball and finish the game. We had to be stronger defending the cross.
“These kind of balls you can do a little bit better, punch the ball. That’s it.”
Asked if he thought his keeper deserved a foul, the Spaniard confessed he has been in England long enough, not to expect one.
He said: “I can say many things but it will not change anything.
"I didn’t like the challenge at the end. You have to protect the keeper. We have been here for years and know what happens but it's still very difficult to explain that.
Mark Halsey's verdict
FELT Graham Scott made the correct decision by awarding Willy Boly's injury-time goal.
Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka never had the ball under his control and Wolves centre-back Boly had every right to go for it. It wasn't a foul for me.
The time added on was also questioned but I felt it was fair.
Referee Scott asked for a minimum of an additional four minutes and Boly scored after 94 minutes and 34 seconds.
But Newcastle made a substitution at the start of added time when Ayoze Perez was replaced by Javier Manquillo and that took a whole minute to complete.
"Maybe it's a foul before on (Miguel) Almiron too, you can say many things but it won't change what happened.
“It is something we have to defend better. We know it is England and people will come to the keeper.
"It is a bad way to concede. We had one more point but it is a pity because we could have had three. I was not happy with some decisions from the referee, but overall he was fine.”
Jamaal Lascelles and Dubravka had a heated exchange of views about Boly’s equaliser.
Benitez said: “Obviously the disappointment is there for everyone. We care.
“Martin was talking about getting more protection and Jamaal felt maybe Martin could have dealt with the cross in a different way. But it doesn’t change anything.
“For us, it was just another bad way to concede and that is it.”
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