Keane comes through reserve run-out

Manchester United skipper Roy Keane put himself in line for a Premiership bench slot against Blackburn on Sunday when he completed a long-awaited reserve-team comeback at Old Trafford tonight.

Under the watchful gaze of Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Keane came through a 90-minute workout against Newcastle’s second string, although he wasn’t able to prevent the home side slipping to a 3-2 defeat.

The Corkman, who has yet to decide whether he will return to the international fold following the departure of Mick McCarthy last month, has not appeared for his club side since his dismissal against Sunderland at the end of August.

Since then, Keane has spent over three months on the sidelines recovering from a hip operation and has also been forced to cough up a record £150,000 fine and serve a five-match ban for comments made about his tackle on Manchester City midfielder Alfie Haaland in his infamous autobiography.

While he is determined to put a turbulent recent past – which included his summer World Cup walk-out – behind him, Keane quickly showed his absence has done little to diminish his notorious competitiveness, United goalkeeper Ricardo quick to receive a tongue-lashing after failing to execute a quick throw inside his own area.

After a quiet start, during which Carl Cort put the visitors in front, Keane slowly started to impose himself on the contest and it was his powerful drive which led to Daniel Nardiello tapping United level after the Newcastle goalkeeper failed to hold the shot.

Showing some deft touches, there was little evidence of rustiness in Keane’s play and although United’s first team will be bidding for their ninth-successive win when they visit Ewood Park on Sunday, Ferguson is almost certain to hand his talisman a place in the travelling squad should he show no ill-effects from tonight’s encounter.

Keane even had a couple of late chances to mark his reappearance with a goal but twice shot narrowly over as United pressed for an equaliser after they had conceded two goals in four minutes midway through the second period.

Nardiello had made it nine goals from 10 reserve-team appearances shortly after the restart before Cort, plagued by injury himself since his £7million arrival from Wimbledon two years ago, turned the game.

First the giant striker set up Bradley Orr for the equaliser with a neat downward header, then he struck the winner from the edge of the box after Mark Lynch had been caught in possession.