Keane falls under the United spell

IN A classic sorcerer versus apprentice contest, Roy Keane fell under the spell of one-time mentor Alex Ferguson. Yet it was Cristiano Ronaldo, ably assisted by Wayne Rooney, who conjured the magic that mesmerised Sunderland and exacerbated the unfolding crisis on Wearside.

The Black Cats, promoted as champions in former United captain Keane’s first season as a manager, yesterday slipped to second bottom in the Premier League and have now won only one of their last 13 games.

They never looked remotely capable of ending that sorry sequence against an imperious United in a match that was effectively over at the interval.