Manchester United's furious players surrounded referee
Mike Jones at the final whistle of their 1-1 draw with
Newcastle after they had been denied two precious points
amid huge controversy at Old Trafford.
• Fergie: Result a travesty
TV replays showed Rio Ferdinand had played the ball
as he slid in on Hatem Ben Arfa after an hour, with
the hosts leading through Javier Hernandez's sixth goal
of the season.
But the far-side linesman decided otherwise, awarding
the visitors a spot-kick from which Demba Ba scored.
Despite the dismissal of Jonas Gutierrez, United were
unable to force home a winner, with Tim Krul producing
a series of outstanding saves and Red Devils old-boy
Danny Simpson producing a brilliant goal-line clearance
to deny Hernandez, who had a goal disallowed for offside
deep into injury time.
The result means Manchester City can go seven points
clear if they win at Liverpool on Sunday.
When he replaced Chris Hughton as Newcastle boss midway
through last season, Alan Pardew could not have received
a more unenthusiastic welcome on Tyneside.
Sir Alex Ferguson felt Newcastle's 12th managerial
appointment since the departure of his old friend Sir
Bobby Robson might have been a smart move. And so it
has proved.
Unbeaten until last week's trip to Manchester City,
the Magpies have soared with an easy-on-the-eye approach
that has even brought the best out of former United
winger Gabriel Obertan.
The Frenchman was rarely effective on this ground wearing
red. Here, he tormented and teased fellow countryman
Patrice Evra, twice nipping past him despite having
virtually no room to work with.
On the first occasion, the visitors should have gone
in front.
Instead, Ryan Taylor got his six-yard volley all wrong
and completely missed his kick.
Demba Ba also had a decent chance, striding on to Hatem
Ben Arfa's astute chip but failing to get sufficient
power to his first-time volley to threaten David de
Gea.
It was enough to keep the visitors' hopes of registering
their first Old Trafford win since 1972 alive, even
if their hosts had the best opportunity.
Fabio supplied it. The young full-back curled over
a glorious cross which Ryan Giggs touched towards the
corner.
However, instead of extending a sequence that has seen
the veteran Welshman score in every Premier League campaign
so far, Tim Krul stretched out and pushed the ball away,
just as Javier Hernandez was closing in.
Hernandez was the most dangerous member of a United
attack that had been bolstered by the return of Wayne
Rooney.
The Mexican also had a shot saved by Krul and drove
another effort over, with Nani also off target with
a curling strike from the corner of the penalty area.
When Newcastle were last level at the break at Old
Trafford, they went on to lose by six and they could
have conceded four within 10 minutes of the restart
this time around.
Fabio flashed a shot wide after pushing the ball through
Ryan Taylor's legs, Rooney's header sailed over and
Young skimmed a shot wide from Patrice Evra's cross.
It was just as well for United that they had profited
from some bad luck on Steven Taylor's part as he stuck
out a leg to turn away a Wayne Rooney piledriver.
With Krul out of the game, having dived to save, Taylor
succeeded only in hitting Hernandez, who knew nothing
about it as the ball bobbled into an empty net.
As Newcastle were getting swept off their feet, it
seemed they were destined for another defeat until they
benefited from a massive slice of good fortune thanks
to a staggering intervention from the far-side linesman.
When Ferdinand slid in on Ben Arfa, he conceded what
he, and referee Mike Jones, thought was a corner.
The linesman, John Flynn, had other ideas and immediately
signalled for a penalty.
Ferdinand could not believe it, and TV replays showed
why as he clearly played the ball.
As the arguments raged, Demba Ba kept his cool and
sent De Gea the wrong way.
United's players were clearly unhappy though, with
Ferdinand, Rooney and Evra all making their feelings
known as Newcastle celebrated their equaliser.
It was the moment that lit the blue touchpaper, with
tackles flying in and every decision being contested
as United raged at the injustice.
Gutierrez pushed his luck too far when he slid through
the back of Nani. Having already been booked, the red
card was virtually automatic.
From the free-kick, Krul brilliantly denied Nemanja
Vidic as he turned away the Serbian's powerful header
before denying Patrice Evra in equally acrobatic fashion.
Simpson then magnificently turned away Hernandez's
goalbound header before United's final hope was extinguished
thanks to an offside flag.
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