United found themselves 2-0 down at half time and staring only a second defeat of the campaign in the face. However, a triple change at the break saw the momentum swing in Newcastle's favour as Kacie Elson and Jasmine McQuade levelled things up.

And it was Newcastle's number nine who stole the show, with Katie Barker jumping highest in the area to score an 89th-minute winner and maintain United's commanding lead at the top of the FA Women's National League Premier Division.

It took until the half-hour mark for either side to register a shot on goal with a lot of the ball being contested in the middle of the pitch, until Georgia Gibson latched onto a loose ball 20 yards from goal but fired her effort straight at Bec Thomas, the Wolves keeper.

Wolves took the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when Amber Hughes reacted quickest to a bouncing ball in the area after Newcastle failed to clear a free kick whipped into the box.

The home side doubled their advantage seven minutes later when Hughes was released down the right-hand side and showed composure to take the ball past Grace Donnelly before slotting into an empty net.

United were presented with an opening right on the stroke of half time to halve the deficit when Wolves only half-cleared a cross into the box, but Gibson could only whip her effort wide of the far post.

The triple substitution from Becky Langley at half time almost produced an immediate response. Gibson was slipped through by McQuade but her deft strike was well saved by Thomas.

Newcastle were handed another golden chance from the resulting corner when Charlotte Potts had a free header just a few yards from the back post but Wolves did just enough to put her off as it fizzed wide.

Elson - one of those brought on at the break - managed to get United back in the game when she latched onto Barker's fantastic low cross to the back post.

It was all Newcastle in the second half and Langley's side almost levelled things up when Paige Bailey-Gayle took a long ball out of the sky and tried to poke it beyond Thomas, but the keeper got just enough on it to allow her team-mates to clear it away.

United deservedly got themselves level with just over ten minutes left to play when Gibson delivered an inch-perfect free kick to McQuade and United's number 21 made no mistake in heading home into the far corner.

McQuade almost had her second goal five minutes later when another Gibson free kick wasn't cleared by Wolves and the ball fell to McQuade but she floated an effort into Thomas' gloves.

Newcastle completed their sensational comeback in front of a fantastic away contingent when Elson crossed at the second time of asking and Barker rose highest to smash home a header into the far corner.

The United fans and bench erupted when Barker found the back of the net, knowing just how big a step it was in their promotion push.

Newcastle United Women: Grace Donnelly (c), Liv Watt (Amber-Keegan Stobbs 45), Charlotte Potts, Lia Cataldo, Katie Barker, Georgia Gibson, Hannah Greenwood, Jasmine McQuade, Emma Kelly (Elysia Boddy 45), Beth Lumsden (Kacie Elson 45, Tyler Dodds 90+4), Paige Bailey-Gayle (Bridget Galloway 74)

Report by Aaron Hindhaugh