Newcastle striker Demba Ba signed off in style as
Manchester United's hopes of retaining their Barclays
Premier League title were dealt a fresh blow with a
3-0 defeat.
The free signing plundered his 15th goal of the season
in what seems certain to be his final appearance for
the Magpies before heading off on African Nations Cup
duty with Senegal to set United on the way to their
first back-to-back league defeats for 10 months.
Frenchman Yohan Cabaye sealed a first victory over
Sir Alex Ferguson's men in more than 10 years with a
stunning 47th-minute free-kick with Phil Jones' late
own goal simply cementing their seventh place in the
table.
Even Wayne Rooney's return from his exile could not
spark United into life as Newcastle added to the pain
inflicted on his side by lowly Blackburn at the weekend
in front of a delighted crowd of 52,299.
Keeper Anders Lindegaard, who has repeatedly warned
he had not joined United simply to ''pick his nose'',
was handed a start in place of David de Gea, unlike
Magpies midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, who was named only
among the substitutes despite declaring roughly the
same sentiment in the run-up to the game.
Pardew sent out his side having seen them win just
one of their last eight league games and knowing the
challenge of improving on that run could hardly be much
more difficult against a wounded United.
However, his players set about their task with a real
relish and while they were forced to defend in determined
fashion throughout, they did so more than competently
with skipper Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson
in particularly miserly form.
In addition, they produced enough of an attacking threat
not only to keep the champions on their toes, but to
take a lead they rarely looked like relinquishing.
Indeed, Pardew's men, having survived an early scare
when Coloccini just managed to cut out Ryan Giggs' attempted
through-ball to Dimitar Berbatov in the opening minute,
took the game to the visitors in the early stages.
Ba was uncharacteristically wasteful when he failed
to make a meaningful connection with Danny Simpson's
teasing fourth-minute cross, and Cabaye tested Lindegaard's
mettle with a shot from distance two minutes later.
The Dane also had to deal with Cheick Tiote's skidding
long-range drive, although as United worked their way
into the game, it was they who started to threaten.
Tim Krul had to make a smart reaction save from Nani's
12th-minute snapshot, and the keeper managed to claim
the rebound before the predatory Rooney was able to
pounce.
Berbatov clipped the outside of the post with a deflected
header three minutes later, but Newcastle were not content
to sit back and defend.
They had been awarded and converted a contentious penalty
in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in November, and they
were appealing for another with 25 minutes gone, this
time in vain, after Ba went down in a tangle of legs
with Rio Ferdinand, the man whose challenge on Ben Arfa
had been ruled illegal on home turf.
But the former West Ham frontman got his chance 12
minutes before the break, and as so often this season,
took it in spectacular fashion.
Shola Ameobi climbed high above Phil Jones to flick
on Krul's long free-kick and Ba swivelled instantly
to smash a right-foot volley high past the stranded
Lindegaard.
Ryan Taylor curled a 44th-minute free-kick just over
after Tiote had left Rooney for dead with a neat trick
and Ba prompted Giggs to foul him 30 yards out.
Lindegaard also had to deal with a nastily dipping
Ba effort from distance in injury-time with the Magpies
sensing an opportunity.
Jones' first season at Old Trafford has been largely
exemplary, but the youngster's difficult evening on
Tyneside took a further turn for the worse within seconds
of the restart.
He barged Ba to the ground 30 yards out as the striker
threatened to run away from him, and Cabaye curled the
resulting free-kick in off the underside of the crossbar
with Lindegaard once again helpless.
Central defender Williamson headed a 55th-minute Ryan
Taylor corner just over with the Magpies pinning the
visitors back to thwart their efforts to launch a recovery.
United would have been back in it within four minutes
had it not been for old boy Danny Simpson, who somehow
managed to block Rooney's point-blank volley from a
Nani cross.
The visitors were enjoying their best spell of the
game as Newcastle's defending became increasingly desperate.
But with no sign of a breakthrough, Rooney made way
for midfielder Anderson with 15 minutes remaining, although
United's efforts became increasingly toothless with
the home side simply needing to maintain concentration.
That they did, and Jones' miserable evening was complete
in the final minute of normal time when he headed Krul's
deep free-kick into his own net.
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