Penalty decision dominates dour draw

Manchester United 0 Newcastle 0

The eagerly-anticipated shoot-out between Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Shearer fizzled out with barely a whimper at Old Trafford this afternoon.

Two of the Premiership’s most deadly front-men barely fashioned a chance between them on a day when defences ruled, but as the home side celebrated the point which allowed them to leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the league, the Magpies will lament the decision which cost them victory.

When Shearer sees a television replay of the incident midway through the first half when the former England captain clashed with Tim Howard inside the United box, his initial feeling it was a penalty will be confirmed.

He won the race to reach Gary Neville’s underhit back pass and was sent sprawling by the United keeper, who arrived an instant later.

To the visitors’ disbelief referee Paul Durkin waved away the appeals and Shearer was denied the chance to give his side a lead they would have deserved.

After a poor start, United battled back and had their own tale of woe to fall back on when Mikael Silvestre’s second-half effort was ruled out for a debatable shove on Andy O’Brien.

Though it ended the home side’s eight-match winning streak and extended Newcastle’s 32-year wait for an Old Trafford win, neither side will be too displeased at the outcome which enhances their respective championship and Champions League aspirations.

Sixteen goals in two meetings between the teams last season had raised the prospect of another Old Trafford goal-fest but instead, the opening period was pretty subdued.

The attacking invention that was on show almost exclusively came from Newcastle and it was the Magpies who produced the only real talking point when Shearer was taken down by Howard.

After twice turning down United earlier in his career, the former England captain never lacks incentive to show Alex Ferguson what he missed and the denial of an opportunity to score from the spot brought an on-going dialogue with Durkin that lasted most of the half.

Laurent Robert came closest to actually opening the scoring in that lacklustre first period, bending a free-kick wide of the home goal, although Howard did appear to have it covered.

At the other end, Shay Given had only two saves to make. It took van Nistelrooy 44 minutes to fashion his first shooting opportunity, a long-range shot which flicked off Jonathan Woodgate and was comfortably collected by the Irishman.

Given should have been tested by Ryan Giggs in stoppage time but the Welshman only headed Kleberson’s cross into the keeper’s arms.

The lack of forward momentum said much about the respective defensive displays.

Woodgate marshalled a Magpies defence lacking Titus Bramble superbly, while Rio Ferdinand, who has nine days to decide whether to appeal against his eight-month ban for a missed drugs test, was also foot perfect, while Mikael Silvestre engaged in a physical duel with Shearer which finished about even.

The arrival of Diego Forlan for Giggs at the start of the second half was a surprise and presumably injury enforced.

Forlan’s appearance coincided with United’s best spell of the match but it was the visitors who carved out the next decent chance when Jenas smacked his header against the bar.

Stunned by the rare experience of being outplayed on their own pitch, the Red Devils were roused by a couple of crunching Silvestre challenges.

It might not have been the most creative moment of the game but it provided United with the stimulus to pile forward.

Given needed two attempts to save Scholes’ long-range effort before Forlan took a stray Gary Speed pass in his stride and unleashed a 25-yard thunderbolt the Newcastle keeper gathered at full stretch.

If Given had generally enjoyed as easy ride in the first half, the second was proving much more eventful. He might have been caught out had Kleberson not lofted a chip over the visitors bar when Forlan put him through but his handling was again secure with three United forwards in attendance as he clutched Fortune’s snap shot.

Not that the direction of the game had changed entirely. It took an excellent penalty box challenge from Ferdinand to rob Robert as the Frenchman raced onto Shearer’s through-ball at full pace, and Silvestre was not far behind when he swooped to dispossess Dyer, who was also speeding through.