Newcastle v Man United 20/10/96 4.00Newcastle (2) 5 Man United (0) 0 FT Peacock 12 Ginola 30 Ferdinand 63 Shearer 75 Albert 83 Alan Shearer cruelly taunted Manchester United's shell-shocked fans as his title choice Newcastle utterly humiliated the defending champions he rejected this summer with a 5-0 triumph. The £15million England skipper let his hair down as he ran arms outstretched to the visiting section after making Les Ferdinand's decisive goal which settled this bad-tempered Tyneside feud. Nothing demonstrated more how much this first FA Carling Premiership success over Manchester United meant to Kevin Keegan's men after they had to surrender the crown to their Old Trafford rivals last season. And Shearer then followed up with the £21million partnership's 18th goal in 12 games as the Geordies stormed back to the top of the table, two points clear of Arsenal but five precious points ahead of Alex Ferguson's men. But the final indignity came in the 83rd minute when Belgian defender Philippe Albert ran through and arrogantly chipped over a demoralised Peter Schmeichel who has never known a beating like it. ``What's it like to be outclassed?'' jeered the Geordies and one five-bellied fan came on and knelt at Keegan's feet, saluting the master before the final standing ovation. It was a perfect moment as the champions retreated from St James' Park fuming at referee Steve Dunn but so comprehensively beaten that the comparisons with the 4-0 Champions League humiliation of Barcelona two years ago are far from fanciful. Last March, Eric Cantona was the United hero with the goal that changed the course of Premiership history, transforming a potential winning seven point Newcastle advantage into an indefensible single point. 
This time he was left a tormented figure, clashing petulantly with Philippe Albert to be booked and accused of an off-the-ball foul on Peter Beardsley that had the home fans baying for his blood. Ferguson's youngsters, undoubtedly jaded at the end of a week that had started with victory over their other rivals Liverpool and a priceless European triumph in Turkey, raved about Newcastle's first goal, cursed their failure to win a penalty. But for once Newcastle got it right in every department, brilliant attack combined with solid defence to remove the evil eye Ferguson has balefully cast over Keegan ever since he got the Geordie bandwagon rolling, Newcastle's only previous success coming in the Coca Cola Cup. Outpsyched a year ago, thumped 4-0 in the Charity Shield in August, Keegan must have had some doubts as he saw a relaxed Ferguson spend nearly 30 minutes signing autographs for home fans before the game. But they disappeared among the fury, controversy and sheer class in a pulsating first half. Peter Schmeichel led the touchline charge as Darren Peacock's first goal in a year gave Newcastle the lead after only 12 minutes. Denis Irwin claimed he cleared the long-haired defender's stooping header before it crossed the line, but was overruled by the referee's assistant who stood firm as he was engulfed by the Irish defender, skipper Cantona and the ranting goalkeeper, who was booked. Television replays suggested that Peacock's effort, after Shearer nodded on Peter Beardsley's corner from the right, slid under Schmeichel and was just over the line before Irwin connected. United's frustration the Bristol official deepened when he ignored Poborsky's penalty claims as the Czech winger, in the starting line-up because Ryan Giggs was still unfit, flew over Srnicek's lunging interception, having already bamboozled Steve Watson. Again though the evidence in the champions' case was flimsy, there was no intent on the part of Poborsky's international colleague. Ferguson's men did not flinch as the tackles flew in the battle of wits and courage, but for once their back-line, preoccupied by the Al and Les show, was overwhelmed. Ironically it was Irwin's last-ditch block on Ferdinand's shot which led to the opening goal. And they were waiting for the cross when John Beresford fed the ball out to Ginola wide on the left in the 30th minute, only for the Frenchman to spin round and rasp his angled shot past Schmeichel and into his left-hand netting. The rout nearly began early when Shearer made the most of Gary Neville's 37th minute slip to crash a 25 yard shot past Schmeichel, only the base of United's right-hand post denying him his eighth goal of his inaugural £15m season. The tension exploded in a throat-grabbing dust-up between Nicky Butt and David Batty which produced yellow cards when both would have probably seen red if the referee had had a clear view of the incident. The feuding deepened in the second half as United searched in vain for a way back, frustrated when Srnicek parried Poborsky's early shot and Watson booted Cantona's follow-up clear. 
Cantona went down clutching his shoulder in agony, alleging Philippe Albert had caught him with a high boot. But there was no foul and the home fans branded him a cheat. He went into the book on the hour when he barged the Belgian over, soon after the normally imperturbable Gary Pallister had clashed angrily with Ginola. But Newcastle kept their nerve and the premature chants of 'Champion' rang round the Gallowgate as Ferdinand took his season's tally into double figures with a superb header in the 62nd minute. England's new spearhead combined brilliantly for their 17th goal in 12 games, Shearer hoisting over the cross from the right and Ferdie leaping high to dip his header over Schmeichel ad in off the crossbar. United sent on Jordi Cruyff, Paul Scholes and Brian McClair for Solskjaer, Johnsen and Poborsky, as much to stem the tide as turn it. But it was impossible as Newcastle ran rampant, Shearer having a simple tap-in in the 74th minute after Schmeichel had parried shots from Beardsley and Ferdinand. But even the proud Dane appeared to give up as Albert cruised through to deliver the coup de grace to a side that has never known such humiliation. Now they must recover their poise quickly if this is not to be a watershed in their season. Newcastle though now believe they can take the title race by the throat again and this time they are in no mood to let go. 
Newcastle: (4-4-2) Srnicek, Watson (Barton, 87), Beresford, Albert, Peacock, Batty, Lee (Clark, 87), Beardsley, Ginola, Shearer, Ferdinand. Subs not used: Asprilla, Gillespie, Hislop. Booked: Batty. Man United: (4-4-2) Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, May, Pallister, Poborsky (Scholes, 66), Beckham, Johnsen (McClair, 66), Butt, Solskjaer (Cruyff, 56), Cantona. Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, P. Neville. Booked: Schmeichel, May, Butt, Cantona, Scholes. Attendance: 36,579. Referee: S Dunn (Bristol). |
