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| April 13, 2003 | Sunday | Safar 10, 1424 |
United dash Newcastle title hopes with six-goal onslaught
NEWCASTLE (England), April 12: Manchester United blew Newcastle’s lingering title hopes out of the water with a stunning six-goal display at St James Park on Saturday.
A hat trick from the inspirational Paul Scholes, goals from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ryan Giggs and a Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty saw United romp to a 6-2 victory that lifts them three points clear of Arsenal going into Wednesday’s Highbury showdown.
The blitzing of a Newcastle team that had not lost a home league match since September was the perfect response from United to their own Champions League drubbing at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
It also ensured that, after last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool, United are now only one goal behind Arsenal in terms of goal difference.
United boss Alex Ferguson hailed the victory as evidence his side had emerged stronger from their midweek mauling at the hands of Real.
“It’s a great confidence boost - no question about that,” the Scot said.
“We played very well and created some good openings. Once they went ahead it was a matter of being patient and once Ole got us back into the game we played some fantastic football.”
Ferguson added: “A lot of our players are young so it was good to get the experience from Madrid and come here knowing it was such an important game - and produce.
“We’re set up nicely now and have got to the position I hoped we would get to some months ago.”
Cruelly for the expectant Newcastle crowd, United’s rampage came after Jermaine Jenas had raised their hopes with a spectacular opening goal.
The young England midfielder lashed home a 25-yard drive after Fabien Barthez had beaten out Craig Bellamy’s left-foot volley.
But the home side’s hopes of a late title surge were crushed in a 12-minute blitz before half-time in which United struck four times.
Solskjaer, playing in midfield because of a hamstring injury to David Beckham, started things off by springing the Newcastle offside trap to chest down a Giggs cross before hooking a left-foot shot past Shay Given.
Two minutes later, the Norwegian turned provider with a neat return pass for Scholes that was finished off with an emphatic volley.
Newcastle’s defence was looking increasingly dishevelled and it was no surprise when Giggs cut into the box from the left to set up Scholes’s second, a sweely struck right-foot drive from the edge of the area that curled away from Given and up into the top corner.
Irish defender John O’Shea, playing in Gary Neville’s right-back slot, demonstrated his attacking ability a minute before the break. After skipping past two Newcastle defenders he drove a ferocious shot across the crossbar and Giggs hammered in the rebound.
Any hopes the Newcastle faithful might have entertained of a miraculous fightback were snuffed out seven minutes after the break.
Titus Bramble’s weak headed clearance fell straight to Diego Forlan, whose pass to Solskjaer was flicked on to the overlapping Gary Neville.
A low cross left Scholes with a simple finish at the far post to complete his hat trick.
Bramble’s miserable afternoon was then compounded when he pulled Forlan down in the box, handing van Nistelrooy the chance to send Given the wrong way for his 36th goal of the season.
What would otherwise have been the perfect afternoon was marred slightly for United when a weak clearance from Barthez enabled Jenas to set up Shola Ameobi for a consolation strike for the home side, two minutes from the end.
United were also left sweating over four players who picked up injuries.
Roy Keane had to go off with a dead leg, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown both ended the match with tight hamstrings and O’Shea injured his knee in a clash with Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer.
Results:
Premier league
Birmingham City 2 Sunderland 0
Blackburn Rovers 1 Charlton Athletic 0
Chelsea 1 Bolton Wanderers 0
Leeds Utd 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Liverpool 2 Fulham 0
Manchester City 0 Middlesbrough 0
Newcastle Utd 2 Manchester Utd 6
West Bromwich Albion 1 Everton 2
West Ham Utd 2 Aston Villa 2.
—AFP/Reuters
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