All Whites striker Chris Wood has scored his first goal for Newcastle United in a 2-1 win over Southampton.

Wood equalised for Newcastle in the first half with a clinical 32nd-minute header, rising high over the defenders to meet a pinpoint cross from Jonjo Shelvey.

It was the 30-year-old Kiwi's first goal in eight appearances for Newcastle and his first league goal since November, when he scored for his previous club Burnley in a 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.Wood was one of Newcastle's big signings in the January transfer window – with a reported fee of $50 million – after the club was bought for $572 million by the Saudi Arabian government's sovereign wealth fund, making the Magpies the richest club in world football.

A 52nd-minute goal from another new signing Bruno Guimarães proved to be the winner for Newcastle, to further ease the side's relegation fears and extend their unbeaten run to nine games.

The All Whites will be hoping Wood continues to regain his scoring touch ahead of the Oceania Fifa World Cup qualifying tournament starting on March 18.

However, Wood – and several other big names – will miss at least the first match of the All Whites' World Cup qualifiers due to club commitments, potentially disadvantaging New Zealand over many of their opponents in the tournament.

The All Whites are set to face Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Caledonia within a space of a week in the group stage of the OFC World Cup qualifying tournament, with the top two sides advancing to the semifinals.

The winner of the tournament will face the fourth-placed nation from North and Central America in a one-off playoff for a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November.