Craig Dawson has confirmed referee Andy Madley dismissed Wolves' penalty shout in the defeat at Newcastle United as a 'coming together'. Madley waved away protests after Nick Pope appeared to bring Raul Jimenez down in the box following a poor first touch, and the decision was not overturned following a swift VAR review.
The televised contest was goalless at this stage, with Alexander Isak opening the scoring minutes later. Hwang Hee-chan drew the visitors level after capitalising on a mix-up at the back, only for substitute Miguel Almiron to strike late on to seal a vital 2-1 victory for the Magpies.
Sky Sports pundits Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Jamie Redknapp both believed Pope was fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty and another red card which would have resulted in a four-match ban. Dawson was asked about the controversial incident in a post-match interview, and the Wolves defender gave Madley's perspective.
READ MORE: Nick Pope escaped four-game ban for horror Wolves moment and Man United hand Newcastle boost
He told the club's website: “There was obviously a coming together [between Pope and Jimenez] and I asked the referee and he kind of said it was a coming together and I’ve not really seen it again.”
Newcastle were searching for only their second Premier League win in 2023, having lost their last three matches in all competitions. Eddie Howe's side missed chances to extend their lead at the break with Bruno Guimaraes seeing a header bounce back off the bar, and Dawson bemoaned his side's performance for allowing the home crowd to grow in 'confidence'.
The January signing added: “We’re obviously disappointed. It was a tough one to take but I think we let them have too much of the game in the first half, which gives them confidence, it gave the crowd confidence.
“We’ve been in that position before and we got the goal back, so we’re obviously disappointed to concede the second goal and not to have held on in the end, but we’ve got to learn from that. We’ve got a big game next week, so we’ve got to prepare now and get ready for that game.”
READ NEXT
Wolves left fuming after Newcastle win but 'nervous' Trippier's words may hint at ref's thinking
Sky Sports pundits left stunned as ‘lucky’ Newcastle United escape Nick Pope penalty shout
Newcastle told Chelsea made 'best' offer to steal wonderkid signing as transfer u-turn explained
Unseen Joelinton moment as suspended Newcastle star congratulates team-mates amid Bruno celebration
Shearer gives Newcastle analysis away from Match of the Day as players give 'statement' response
