Report:: Newcastle United 2 Manchester United 1

Michael Carrick oversaw his first defeat as Reds boss to suffer a blow in our bid for a UEFA Champions League place, despite the hosts playing the entire second half with 10 men.

After an opening period dominated by the hosts, the game sprung into real action as half-time approached. Bryan Mbeumo missed a glorious chance to open the scoring, before Jacob Ramsey was shown a second yellow card, and sent off, for attempting to win a penalty as Senne Lammens advanced from his goal.

The Magpies were awarded a spot-kick, soon afterwards, and Anthony Gordon converted from 12 yards. The stoppage time continued and Bruno Fernandes's free-kick was headed home by Casemiro, who scored in similar fashion against the same opponents in the 2023 Carabao Cup final, to level the scores.

Substitute Will Osula hit a 90th-minute winner to compound an extremely disappointing second half for United.

FIRST HALF - CHAOTIC ENDING 

Despite being buoyed by Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw being declared fit to start, it was a nervy start by the Reds, as Newcastle's confident approach belied their run of three successive domestic losses at home.

In only the fourth minute, Lammens and Leny Yoro opted to leave a hopeful cross by Kieran Trippier that bounced off the frame of the goal, with Lewis Hall lashing the rebound off target.

Although Matheus Cunha hit a wayward shot and then supplied a dangerous cross that was not in the middle, the vast majority of the attacks were coming towards Lammens's goal.

Former Red Anthony Elanga hit a volley on the full from Yoro's header out but it dropped well off target and was left by Lammens. Seconds later, Casemiro won the ball in his own box but was tackled by compatriot Joelinton, allowing Gordon to touch off to Harvey Barnes, who swung an effort narrowly wide, as the home fans waited for the net to bulge.

There was no VAR intervention when Dan Burn appeared to elbow Shaw, leaving him in some pain, and the stoppage only temporarily halted the pressure. Sandro Tonali thrashed a loose Noussair Mazraoui clearance wide and it took Benjamin Sesko almost squeezing his way through at the other end to give the noisy away supporters something to truly get behind.

From a free-kick of some promise for United, the hosts broke instead and Joelinton worked an angle, only to blaze over from outside the area.

Our first shot on target of the half was worth the wait as, in the 42nd minute, Yoro found Sesko, who kept possession and picked out Mbeumo. The Cameroon international invited Kobbie Mainoo to try a shot and it was curling away from Aaron Ramsdale, who justified his inclusion ahead of Nick Pope by diving to claw it away superbly.

We should then have edged in front when Cunha cut through the defence and forced another save out of Ramsdale. This time, he pushed it against Burn and it ricocheted to Mbeumo, who really should have scored but fired into the crowd.

Back up the other end, Ramsey went down too easily when Lammens raced from his goal and was shown a second yellow card, for simulation, by referee Peter Bankes. Instead of boosting the Reds, though, the Magpies charged through again and Gordon forced his way between Mazraoui and Fernandes, going to ground. Referee Bankes saw enough in it to award a penalty and Gordon slammed past Lammens for the opener.

In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Fernandes floated in a free-kick after Mazraoui was fouled and Casemiro applied the finishing touch with a simple nod of his head, to spark fury from the stands.

SECOND HALF - THE RUN IS ENDED

It took eight minutes after the restart for a shot to arrive, and it came from the Tynesiders. Gordon's low effort was comfortable, though, for Lammens.

Although Mbeumo did manage to reach a sly pass by Fernandes, he was unable to profit and the 10-men Magpies still carried a real threat. After VAR looked at a possible handball by Mainoo from a set-piece, which never looked like an offence, the following corner, by Sandro Tonali, was diverted wide at full stretch by Gordon, who was unmarked racing in.

With Fernandes finally starting to pull the strings, United's first attempt of the half came in the 75th minute - and it was a big chance. Bruno's ball in was inviting to be scored, after he was cleverly found by Mazraoui, but Yoro's header, although on target, was superbly repelled by Ramsdale.

Another neat pass by Fernandes allowed Manuel Ugarte to head on to the top of the net and the skipper tried his luck himself but fired wide from the edge of the box.

Sesko had a shot blocked, after substitute Joshua Zirkzee threatened to pull the trigger a couple of times, but the Dutchman did let fly from distance to force a one-handed save out of the diving Ramsdale.

Just when it looked like we were asking enough questions to force a winner, the sucker punch was delivered. Osula stumbled as he just about kept a shrewd pass down the line by Kieran Tripper in play. Cutting inside, it was easy to see where the shot was going, but impossible to stop it, as he bent a top-class finish wide of Lammens.

With Chelsea winning 4-1 at Aston Villa, on the back of Liverpool's shock 2-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the race for the Champions League places is truly on.

Our next fixture is not until a week on Sunday, when we entertain Villa at Old Trafford.

MATCH DETAILS

Newcastle: Ramsdale; Trippier (c), Thiaw, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Tonali (Botman 90), Joelinton; Elanga (Murphy 84), Gordon (Osula 85), Barnes (Willock 46).

Subs not used: Pope, A. Murphy, Shahar, Neave, Wissa.

Scorer: Gordon 45+6 (pen), Osula 90.

Booked: Ramsey, Joelinton, Trippier.

Sent off: Ramsey.

United: Lammens; Mazraoui (Malacia 85), Yoro, Maguire, Shaw (Ugarte 61); Casemiro (Dalot 61), Mainoo (Amad 76); Mbeumo (Zirkzee 77), Fernandes (c), Cunha; Sesko.

Subs not used: Bayindir, Heaven, Kukonki, T.Fletcher.

Scorer: Casemiro 45+9.

Booked: Mbeumo, Shaw, Mazraoui.