Ba evokes memories of Shearer on night of misery for United

WHO said the north-east wouldn’t have a say in the outcome of this season’s Premier League title?

The region’s once proud description as a ‘hotbed’ may now be used in mocking self deprecation by the locals, but at least their teams are doing their bit to make life hard for the Premier League’s movers and shakers.

In the wake of Roberto Mancini seeing his leaders holed beneath the waterline in stoppage time at Sunderland, Manchester again had so much to answer for, United humbled on the banks of the Tyne for the first time in a decade.

Oh, and how they did celebrate.

They still talk with misty-eyed reverence of the time Alex Ferguson’s side were dispatched from here having been spanked 5-0 some 15 years ago, and while this was never going to be as comprehensive, a first victory in 19 attempts over the reigning Premier League champions was nevertheless fully deserved.

Drawing comparisons with yesteryear, for Alan Shearer, read Demba Ba, scorer of the hosts’ crucial first goal. And for Philippe Albert, scorer of Newcastle’s sumptuous fifth back then, read Yohan Cabaye, whose stunning free-kick gave the hosts valuable breathing space immediately after the interval.

How Wayne Rooney must envy the rich run of form currently being enjoyed by Ba, who signed off in his last appearance for a month ahead of African Cup of Nations duty with a sublimely taken 15th goal of the season. In comparison, the Manchester United forward, restored to the side as one of four changes after earning a fine worth anything up to £200,000 depending on your source in the wake of if not breaking then at least bending a club curfew, endured a frustrating evening on his return.

Had Rooney’s close-range effort shortly before the hour not been cleared off the line by Danny Simpson, the full-back excelling against his former employers, this memorable encounter could have panned out somewhat different.

Rooney was substituted soon afterwards, and the visitors’ hopes of salvaging something went with him, consecutive league defeats suffered for the first time in 10 months to keep United three points behind City, the same advantage they enjoy over Tottenham, who occupy third.

For their part, Newcastle remain seventh, now just a point in arrears of Liverpool, courtesy of a first home win in two months.

Where Martin O’Neill’s side had been somewhat fortunate to inflict a single goal defeat on the blue half of Manchester, Newcastle were good value for their victory.

“We won because we controlled the game in terms of what we wanted to do, we wouldn’t let them play,’’ Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said.

“Physically and aerially today we had an advantage.

“It was a great victory for us — we beat the champions 3-0 and we probably deserved that scoreline.

“You’ve got to have brave players who are going to push on — we had some outstanding performances individually.”

Ferguson made no excuses for United’s defeat and acknowledged Cabaye’s free-kick was a ‘killer’ blow.

“We started reasonably well. But they scored a fantastic goal and it really picked everyone up in the stadium,’’ he said. “The second was a killer for us. We didn’t make enough of our possession.”

The Scot acknowledged neighbours City are now in pole position, saying: “Advantage to them of course.

“It’s not a time to panic — we have the experience to cope with that.”

In front of a near capacity crowd of 52,299, the hosts produced plenty of eye-catching football prior to deservedly breaking the deadlock, but Ba’s 32nd minute opener owed very little to slick-passing, and rather more to route one.

Goalkeeper Tim Krul launched a booming free-kick from the edge of his box, which was flicked on by Shola Ameobi as the Newcastle forward outjumped Phil Jones, the start of a disastrous night for the hapless defender. Ba reacted first, turning in an instant to send a looping first-time volley into the top corner from 18 yards.

It was the first Premier League goal conceded in six appearances this season by Anders Lindegaard, the Manchester United keeper who came in for young Spaniard, David De Gea, a casualty from the side to suffer a 3-2 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in their previous game.

Ba almost found himself on the scoresheet in the opening skirmishes, only for Newcastle’s top scorer to miss his kick 10 yards out as he latched onto Simpson’s searching low cross.

The visitors eventually managed a foothold, and Krul saved at the second attempt as Nani shot from the edge of the area, Rooney almost making it to the loose ball before Newcastle’s Dutch keeper gathered safely.

Dimitar Berbatov then saw a deflected header glance off a post with Krul beaten as the Bulgarian met a Patrice Evra cross.

Having been caught out for Newcastle’s first goal, Jones was again at fault as the hosts doubled their advantage in memorable style immediately after the re-start.

The defender was caught flat-footed to foul Ba’s surge towards goal 30 yards out, and Cabaye did the rest, with a sumptuous free-kick which found the net via the underside of the bar.

The expected fightback failed to materialise, and Ba came close to further embellishing the winning margin, heading narrowly wide from Ryan Taylor’s cross with 20 minutes left.

The third goal duly arrived, in somewhat comical fashion, as the contest edged into stoppage time. Jones rounded off a wretched personal display by heading another long Krul free-kick past Lindegaard into his own net. It was a goal you really couldn’t have made up, but in truth, the same could be said for much of the previous 90 minutes.

Subs for Newcastle: Best for Shola Ameobi 75, Perch for Cabaye 77, Obertan for Ba 89.

Subs for Man Utd: Welbeck for Berbatov 57, Hernandez for Park 66, Anderson for Rooney 74.