Red-hot Roon piles more misery on Toon

Newcastle 0 Man Utd 2

It left Newcastle manager Graeme Souness wondering when his wretched luck will turn.

The opportunism of Rooney and van Nistelrooy ensured United maintained their 100% start to the Premiership season as they moved up to fourth place with a game in hand.

But a sorry Souness saw his second from bottom side fail to score for a fourth successive game, their worst-ever opening to a season in front of goal.

For Newcastle defender Jean-Alain Boumsong, yesterday was a personal nightmare. Rooney punished his mistake in the 65th minute and the £8m Frenchman, signed by Souness from Rangers in January, was similarly at fault when van Nistelrooy pounced in injury time.

The 19-year-old's youthful exuberance got the better of him when he scored, as Sky TV picked up a four-letter word amid his celebration. Rooney said: "I'm a young lad and I was just excited that I'd scored."

So, too, was United manager Alex Ferguson, who said: "Our second goal was a great example for any young person who wants to get to the very top. He (Rooney) defended in the right-back position, won the ball and continued on a 50-yard run to play Ruud in. It showed a fantastic work ethic."

Rooney, who scored twice in United's 3-1 win here last season, now has five goals in eight games from open play against Newcastle in all competitions. However, Dutchman van Nistelrooy is faring even better, with 11 in nine appearances.

Souness's gamble on the fitness of midfielders Kieron Dyer and Emre backfired as both players were forced off before half-time. The pair returned from respective back and hamstring injuries, but it was no surprise when the Turk limped off to be replaced by Jermaine Jenas, before Dyer succumbed.

It was a long clearance from goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar that brought about the breakthrough, Rooney profiting from Boumsong's fatal hesitancy to bury his finish past Shay Given. And when Rooney powered down the right in the dying moments to pull the ball across goal, Boumsong failed to deal with it and van Nistelrooy beat the exposed Given.

The visiting fans taunted Graeme Souness with cries of "You're being sacked in the morning," and chairman Freddy Shepherd admitted before the game that the start Newcastle have made is "not acceptable." Former Republic of Ireland defender David O'Leary is already being tipped to take over from Souness.

However, Newcastle assistant manager Alan Murray, standing in for Souness at the post-match press conference, insisted the boss had an assurance over his future .

"Don't read anything into it,' said Murray. "Graeme is just talking to the players because we're going to Malaga this week for some warm-weather training."

Souness still hasn't given up hope of luring Michael Owen from Real Madrid and handed a debut to Spain's Albert Luque, signed from Deportivo La Coruna on Friday for £9m, though it was a difficult introduction.

Newcastle were the more threatening side in the early stages: Lee Bowyer's shot on the turn was deflected just wide and from Emre's corner, captain Alan Shearer's header - on his 700th career appearance and 400th Premiership start - was narrowly off target.

Luque then thought he had marked his first appearance with a goal from close range after van der Saar parried Shearer's shot, but a flag was raised against the new boy, who was clearly a yard offside.

Darren Fletcher fired inches over for Man United before Cristiano Ronaldo was booked for clattering into the impressive Scott Parker. Referee Howard Webb also gave visiting skipper Roy Keane a lecture as the temperature rose.

Ronaldo spurned the best chance of the first half when Bowyer's gaffe gifted him possession, the Portuguese star blazed wide from a glorious position, and Rooney incurred the wrath of the home fans early in the second half when he stayed down as if he had taken a blow to the head before suddenly springing to his feet.

However, van Nistelrooy was cheered to the rafters when he missed the sort of chance he would usually convert with his eyes closed in the 57th minute. Man United felt they were denied two minutes later when Ronaldo went down on the edge of the area under the challenge of Stephen Carr, while van Nistelrooy was shown the yellow card for diving as he attempted to skip round Given, though Ferguson argued it should have been a penalty.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given; Carr, Boumsong, Taylor, Babayaro; Bowyer (Faye 55), Parker, Emre (Jenas 23); Dyer (Ameobi 37), Shearer, Luque.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Van der Saar; O'Shea, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze; Fletcher (Smith 85), Keane, Scholes; Rooney, van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo (Park 85).

Referee: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire).

Attendance: 52,327.