Rampant United Crush Newcastle

Newcastle United’s resurgence under the temporary stewardship of Glenn Roeder lasted just 8 minutes at Old Trafford. They came out and knocked the ball about confidently, but their confidence evaporated after Peter Ramage rolled a ball back ‘blind’ in the general direction of Shay Given and a delighted Wayne Rooney pounced to lift the ball over the Newcastle keeper.

Ramage hung his head at a goal born of inexperience and from that point on, every Newcastle United player’s head seemed to drop too as United mounted attack after attack. And with a match total of 29 goal attempts, the only real surprise was that they managed to convert so few of them.

Remarkably, the actual scoring ended on 12 minutes – Saha to O’Shea to Rooney: 2-0 – but the excitement continued. Saha volleyed just wide, then narrowly failed to find the net when put through by Park. Ronaldo’s 30 yard swerving free kick was hit with such power that Given could only palm it away, and the industrious Park spooned an inviting Neville cross over from 15 yards. So by half time United would scarcely have been flattered by a 6-0 lead.

In the second half it was more of the same. Ronaldo could have had a hat trick. First, his vicious low cross was helped over the bar by a grateful Ramage. Six minutes later, he brought a fine save from Given and when Rooney burst through and pulled the ball back, the Portuguese winger blazed extravagantly wide.

Rooney, meanwhile, with two goals already under his belt, was in pursuit of a hat trick of his own. Twice he burst through, only to hit a post and then fire just wide. Then Saha headed over from a terrific inswinging cross from Giggs and substitute Van Nistelrooy pulled his shot wide when everyone expected him to score.

And those were just the highlights.