If there is any team that is known for late winners and dramatic finishes, it’s Manchester United.

Manchester United clinch 7 goal thriller

United who went into the match without Rooney and Young who picked up injuries in training a day before the encounter with Newcastle prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to play Javier Hernandez along with Robin Van Persie. Danny Welbeck was also absent from the team because of illness.

The injuries looked like they would ruin the match for the home side when the visitors went ahead through James Perch. Perch followed up a De Gea save after he saved  Demba Ba’s attempt on target. He then slotted the ball in.

United scored the equalizer after a set piece routine. The ball was not cleared by the Newcastle defenders and it was eventually shot on target only to be saved by Tim Krul. Evans then tapped into an open net to make it 1-1.

Controversy followed soon and Old Trafford in not new to it. Evans seemed to have put the ball into his own net, but the assistant referee had raised the flag. He had raised it because Ba was in an offside position, but the ball had certainly come off Evans. After a few anxious minutes and some appeals by Alan Padrew the goal stood. The goal could have been disallowed because Evans was forced into touching the ball due to Ba’s presence.

The second half began with the home side pushing for an equalizer. This time the captain stepped up. Patrice Evra who had scored thrice this season already and added one more to that with a brilliant low drive into the corner of the net that rolled beneath Krul’s hands. The fullback has now proved to be more than a defensive giant for the Red Devils.

Newcastle were not done yet as Pappis Cisse scored to put the Toons ahead for the third time in the match.

The home crowd was on the back of their team and Van Persie and Hernandez started to respond well. It was Alex Ferguson’s early Christmas Present Van Persie who scored to equalize for the third time in the match. Van Persie had put a shot on target but was denied by a brilliant save by Krul. The Newcastle defense failed to clear the ball and it fell to Carrick who flicked it to Van Persie who had enough and more time to take two touches and make a clinical finish. He was never going to miss from that distance after all he is one of the best in the game at what he does.

United had gained confidence from the equalizer and they kept pushing for an equalizer. Javier Hernandez was causing all sorts of trouble for the visitors with his movement and came close on more than one occasions. United were denied a penalty when Hernandez’s shot hit Collocini’s hand. Van Persie also came close but in the end it was always gonna be the Mexican Chicarito who finished of a brilliant piece of play to give United the lead for the first time in the game. The goal came in the 90th minute of the game.

Newcastle’s day then from bad to worse after Anita had to be stretched off the field following a foul in injury time.

The result and their city rival’s loss at the Stadium of Light means that United go 7 points clear at the top.

Tags: English Premier League, EPL, Goal, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Old Trafford, Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson, Toons