Magical Roon destroys Toon

Man Utd 2 Newcastle Utd 1

United looked to be heading for their third successive Premiership defeat until Rooney strode on to Peter Ramage’s clearance and flashed an unstoppable volley past Shay Given.

Wes Brown sealed the victory when he powered home only his second United goal 17 minutes from time, but Ferguson was in no doubt the man who deserved the accolades was the youngster he was about to replace.

“It was an unbelievable goal,” said the United boss. “He must have been 30 yards out but he struck it magnificently. I was going to take him off because he took a knock in the first half and was struggling quite badly. But after the goal I thought ‘Just keep him on’ because he is always capable of doing something like that again.”

Ferguson labelled Rooney’s effort even better than the teenager’s similarly blistering strike in the FA Cup win over Middlesbrough in January.

It allowed the £27million front-man to become the first United player to reach double figures for United in the Premiership this term and overshadowed a hard-fought encounter which saw Gabriel Heinze carried off with an ankle injury before the break.

It was some welcome good news for Ferguson, who also revealed Ruud van Nistelrooy should shrug off a minor ankle injury in time to face Charlton next weekend.

After losses to Norwich and Everton, the win revived the Red Devils’ hopes of finishing the campaign as runners-up.

They have now closed the gap on second-placed Arsenal to a single point, although Ferguson could not help referring back to van Nistelrooy’s infamous spot-kick miss against the Gunners 18 months ago as a reference for his complaints over Neale Barry’s failure to award a first-half penalty after Andy O’Brien appeared to foul Alan Smith.

“It is getting to the stage where it looks quite sinister now,” moaned Ferguson. “Ever since we got that penalty against Arsenal, we have received nothing. This was the referee who awarded Portsmouth a penalty against us earlier in the season for the slightest of tugs from Rio Ferdinand but he fails to give a blatant one like today’s. I think someone will have to be shot before we get another penalty.”

Meanwhile Ferguson said he wants skipper Roy Keane to play at the top level for another two seasons.

“Roy can play at this level for another two years, I have absolutely no doubt about that,” Ferguson reckons.

“I think he will be around with us until the age of 36. He has been fantastic for us this season and when he does finally stop playing he will be very hard to replace. But I can’t see any reason why he can’t carry on for next season and the season after that.”

Ferguson also wants to win the FA Cup to prove he is not past his sell-by date. “It now seems that in Manchester, experience counts for nothing. But I will survive and so will Manchester United.”

MAN UTD: Howard, Phil Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Heinze (Ronaldo 37), Fletcher (Kleberson 61), Keane (Silvestre 76), Fortune, Giggs, Rooney, Smith.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Carr, Boumsong, Andy O’Brien, Elliott, Milner, Ambrose, Ramage (Robert 82), N’Zogbia, Shearer (Kluivert 66), Ameobi.

Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).