[ 2011-11-27 ]

Manchester United 1 Newcastle United 1
Manchester United's were left disappointed at the
final whistle after they had been denied two
precious points at Old Trafford.

TV replays showed Rio Ferdinand 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 awarded the visitors a
spot-kick from which Demba Ba scored.

Despite the dismissal of Jonas Gutierrez, Man
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.

DECENT CHANCE
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 Man 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.

GOOD FORTUNE
Hernandez was the most dangerous member of a Man
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 Man 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.

The hosts' 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 Man 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 Man United's final hope
was extinguished thanks to an offside flag.

Source - Barclays Premiere League

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