Keane drives home champions' message

Newcastle United 1 Manchester United

Newcastle United – last major domestic honour the FA Cup of 1955 – were yesterday reminded, for all their progress in the past decade, of how much they still have to do, receiving what is becoming a biannual lesson from Manchester United. In its way, the defeat was as comprehensive as last season's 6-2 loss on the same ground. Badly missing Jonathan Woodgate at one end and Craig Bellamy at the other, the home side once again took the lead, only to fall apart. Once more Ruud van Nistelrooy and Paul Scholes were their destroyers, prompted by the irresistible force that is Roy Keane.

Every time the Geordie nation is given reason for great expectations, it seems - and last May's third place was the latest hint - the real champions arrive to put them in their place. After this latest battle of English football's venerable knights, Sir Bobby Robson was forced to acknowledge as much. He had to wait, however, to congratulate Sir Alex Ferguson, who had been banished from the opposing dug-out for his furious reaction to a poor decision midway through the first half. Shortly afterwards, Alan Shearer headed Newcastle in front, but they hardly created another chance until added time, when an equaliser by Michael Chopra would have been larceny on the scale of the Home Counties headmistress who defrauded her school of half-a-million pounds.

Ferguson's rage was prompted by the second similar incident in quick succession. In the first, the referee, Uriah Rennie - ironically something of a hate figure on Tyneside - was right to decide that Titus Bramble tackled Van Nistelrooy fairly as the striker was homing in on goal, but two minutes later Ryan Giggs was clearly tripped by Andy O'Brien a yard outside the area.

A free-kick would have meant a red card, but the Irishman escaped, and instead it would be the United manager who was dismissed. He had made his view on the tackle known, colourfully, then kicked the ball down the touchline in a wild manner that would not have added to his scoring record back in the old days as a centre-forward in Scotland. Rennie, summoned by the fourth official, Jeff Winter, ushered the Manchester United manager off, and he watched the rest of the game from the comfort of Robson's office. A 20th Premiership game since last Christmas without defeat made good viewing.

Later he had calmed down sufficiently to say: "I was just really angry about the failure to show O'Brien a red card. I made my feelings known in a way I've done many times in the past. I didn't think I was out of order, but I'm aware that the fourth officials have been given stricter guidelines this season. I suppose I'll have to curb my behaviour in future."

With Carlos Queiroz, who left for Real Madrid in the summer, still not replaced as United's assistant manager, the first-team coach, Mike Phelan, was left in charge on the touchline. Within two minutes his team were behind, two more decisions having gone against them. Scholes was penalised a little harshly for handling, and as Laurent Robert's free-kick (his only notable contribution) drifted to the far post, Shearer used his experience, strength and arm to beat Mikael Silvestre, who also slipped to allow Newcastle's captain an unchallenged header for his third goal in two games.

There had been 27 goals in the teams' four previous meetings, 11 of them by the champions in last season's fixtures. If Shearer's finish confirmed that they do not do goalless draws - least of all against each other - it also proved to be Newcastle's high-water mark. From then on the tide was running the way of the visitors, with Eric Djemba-Djemba cresting it and Keane alongside him making the point that he is not ready yet to be replaced by the Cameroonian.

As the earlier incidents made clear, O'Brien and the disappointing Bramble were very much for turning. They pushed up raggedly and regularly found Van Nistelrooy and Giggs twisting away from them. "United are going to get in eventually," said the former Newcastle hero Chris Waddle. The only surprise was that it took them until the second half.

In the first 15 minutes after the interval, Van Nistelrooy and Scholes each missed a sitter, only for both to redeem themselves with a goal almost immediately. Keane was at the heart of it all. In the 49th minute he located Van Nistelrooy after a clever turn past Aaron Hughes, but the finish was wasted. Four minutes later, Bramble rushed forward, appealing for offside again, Hughes stayed back and the Dutchman was all alone to take Keane's pass and find the corner. It was his seventh goal in five matches against Newcastle, a statistic of persecution soon equalled by Scholes. The midfielder, who for some reason cannot score for England, had just jabbed straight at the goalkeeper from five yards, but was now on the end of Keane's chip to chest in from similar distance.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese boy-wonder, came on for United but was quiet. Lee Bowyer, on his home debut, and Gary Speed had become as anonymous in the Newcastle midfield as Robert. Robson made a triple substitution, but his team did not deserve the reprieve that Chopra, denied by Rio Ferdinand's tackle, might have given them.

"Chopra could have been a hero tonight," Robson lamented. "We did very well in the first half, but from start to finish, they edged it. I think we've closed the gap, but it's still there."

Newcastle United 1 Manchester United 2
Shearer 26;Van Nistelrooy 51, Scholes 59

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 52,165