90 min UNITED GOAL - Saha scores from close range after some good work from Rooney.
88 min - Saha almost got to the end of Fletcher's perfectly-weighted pass.

85 min - Saha's snap shot was pushed over the bar by Harper. The latter is furious with his defenders' lack of power.

84 min - Geremi replaces Milner.

82 min - Smith hits a boomerang with the outside of his right foot, but Van der Sar pulls off an acrobative save.

80 min UNITED GOAL - Despite the close attention of Smith, Rooney bends a shot inside the post. Game over.

78 min NEWCASTLE GOAL - Faye stabs home from close range in a goalmouth melee.

74 min SUBSTITUTION - Scholes replaces Vidic.

71 min - Newcastle are struggling to break down United. The disparity in quality of players is too wide.

67 min SUBSTITUTION - Saha replaces Ronaldo.

65 min - Duff unleashes a cracker from 25 metres but Van der Sar gets his body behind the ball.

60 min - Even though it is virtually game over, Newcastle continue to pour forward in search of a consolation goal.

57 min UNITED GOAL - Fletcher pounces on a loose ball to feed Ronaldo, who rounds Harper to effectively secure a victory for United.

55 min - Nani lays off the ball to Ronaldo but the latter drills it into the stands.

53 min - Duff manages to break away from Brown and Vidic to pull the trigger. However, Van der Sar was equal to the task.

51 min - Taylor shrugs off Brown's challenge but his header lacked direction.

48 min - Newcastle are found wanting in the last third of the field.

46 min SUBSTITUTIONS Harper replaces Given. O'Shea replaces Evra.

44 min UNITED GOAL - Carrick threads a superb pass to Ronaldo, who accelerates past the Newcastle defenders to bury the ball in the bottom left-hand corner. Simply irresistible.

41 min - Tevez directs his header wide after Nani whips in a fine cross.

38 min - Fletcher makes a decent overlapping run and he crosses to Tevez, who, however, was crowded out by Newcastle defenders.

35 min YELLOW CARD - Owen is booked for a studs-high tackle on Vidic.

32 min - Milner turns well in the box but Brown blocks well.

30 min YELLOW CARD - Faye is booked for a foul on Van der Sar.

28 min - United's defence is in disarray as N'Zogbia almost plunders.

26 min UNITED GOAL - Ronaldo turns Beye inside out on the left flank and delivers a pin-point cross to Rooney, who taps home from close range.

24 min - Ferdinand seems to bring down Owen in the box. However, penalty claims were waved away.

22 min - Ronaldo turns sharply, only to fire a wayward left-footed shot.

18 min - Van der Sar flaps at Duff's free-kick but Vidic clears the danger.

15 min - Taylor clears the danger after Nani latches on to Rooney's cross.

12 min - Given collects Tevez's weak shot easily.

12 min - Milner swings in a good cross from the right but none of his team-mates were in the box to capitalise.

11 min - Duff waltzes down the left flank but his cross was cut out by Vidic.

9 min - Nani falls to the ground theatrically (again) after Butt scythes him down.

7 min - Beye knocks Nani down clumsily but United could make nothing out of that free-kick.

4 min - Owen flicks his shot wide after N'Zogbia swings in a nice cross.

3 min - United have started brightly, controlling the tempo of the game.

LINEUPS



Newcastle (4-4-2) - Shay Given, Steven Taylor, Habib Beye, Damien Duff, Nicky Butt, Abdoulaye Faye, James Milner, Joey Barton, Charles N'Zogbia, Alan Smith, Michael Owen



Man Utd (4-4-2) - Edwin Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez