Newcastle hand the Red Devils another setback

The free signing plundered his 15th goal of the season in what seems certain to be his final appearance for the Magpies before heading off on African Nations Cup duty with Senegal.

Frenchman Yohan Cabaye took Newcastle a step closer to the club’s first victory over Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in more than 10 years with a stunning 47th-minute free-kick with Phil Jones’s late own goal cementing their seventh place in the table.

Even Wayne Rooney’s return from a one-game exile could not spark United into life in front of a largely delighted crowd of 52,299 as Newcastle added to the pain inflicted on them by lowly Blackburn at the weekend.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew sent out his side having seen them win just one of their previous eight league games and knowing the challenge of improving on that run could hardly be much more difficult against a wounded United.

However, his players set about their task with a real relish and while they were forced to defend in determined fashion throughout, they did so more than competently with captain Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson in particularly miserly form.

In addition, they produced enough of an attacking threat not only to keep the champions on their toes, but to take a lead they rarely looked like relinquishing.

Twelve minutes before the break Shola Ameobi climbed high above Jones to flick on Tim Krul’s long free-kick and Ba swivelled instantly to smash a right-foot volley high past the stranded Anders Lindegaard.

Only seconds into the second half Jones barged Ba to the ground 30 yards out as the striker threatened to run away from him, and Cabaye curled the resulting free-kick in off the underside of the crossbar with Lindegaard once again helpless.

United would have been back in it within four minutes had it not been for ex-Red Danny Simpson, who somehow managed to block Rooney’s point-blank volley from Nani’s cross.

Rooney made way for midfielder Anderson with 15 minutes remaining before Jones’s miserable evening was completed in the last minute of normal time when he headed Krul’s deep free-kick into his own net.