Newcastle United 0 v 2 Manchester United
St James Park, Newcastle
28th August 2005
It was a good time for Manchester United to visit Newcastle, with their North-Eastern former title-rivals in bad shape, with just one point, and no goals from four games so far this season!
United are currently in fine form, and even without hard-working Gary Neville at right-back, managed to see off a poor Newcastle front-line without too many problems.
The game took some time to get going, with Newcastle trying out a tactic that had worked on Arsenal last season - basically kick the opposition until they can't be bothered running forwards anymore! The difference this time was that it was Manchester United, and we have the kind of players, like Rio, Roy and Heinze, that are more than happy to 'mix it'.
Bizarrely it was Ronaldo who picked up the first booking of the game - bzarre only because it was his first Challenge whilst Taylor and Parker of Newcastle put in a good few dirty tackles in each by that point.
Newcastle lasted 60 minutes before the first goal went in, and it was hardly a classic. van der Saar, who again looked solid, booted the ball up the pitch. Ruud fought for the ball, but the bounce beat him. Boumsong, who had expected Taylor or Ruud to win the ball, was caught flat-footed, with the ball bouncing into dynamic Rooney's path. He smashed the ball, and ran screaming like a madman to the corner! that'll teach the Newcastle fans for incessantly chanting nasty things about him!
The second goal came in the dying minutes. Rooney was still able to run at full pelt, and lost his marker. His inch-perfect ball met van Nistelrooy, who slotted home with ease from 10 yards.
Ronaldo did a few nice tricks, was hauled down for what should have been a sending off, and was a general menace to the Toon defence all game.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Keane, Fletcher (Smith 85), Scholes, Rooney, Ronaldo (Park 85), van Nistelrooy.
Subs Not Used: Howard, Brown, Giggs.
