SOCCER: Man Utd - 3 Newcastle Utd - 1 One of the most traumatic spells in Manchester United's recent history suddenly seems little more than a trick of the mind. Their supporters may contest the recovery will not be complete until they have clambered back to the Premiership's summit, but Alex Ferguson is entitled to feel a certain amount of smugness this morning.
After all the trials and tribulations that have plagued the champions, Ferguson's team climbed over Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle into second place last night with a display that will send a shudder down the spine of the Premiership.
Think back to early December and the 1-0 defeat against West Ham, United's sixth league defeat of a torrid start to Ferguson's parting season, and it seems scarcely conceivable that they are even involved in such a wonderfully taut title race.
Only the relentless desire within Old Trafford has hauled them into contention, and there was a notable air of defiance lingering over this regal old stadium as Ferguson's team, with David Beckham consigned to the bench yet again and Ryan Giggs hamstrung once more, sought the considerable prize of moving within two points of Leeds United.
League matches at the Theatre of Dreams so often have the atmosphere of an evening at the cinema, but that accusation could never be levelled last night.
The stakes are getting higher and Old Trafford responded in kind as the two sides immediately set about where they had left off at St James' Park in September.
Sylvain Distin, Newcastle United's French centre-half, will have breathed a sigh of relief to get the benefit of the doubt from the referee Peter Jones after appearing to handle Juan Sebastian Veron's right-wing cross inside the opening five minutes.
Yet Newcastle's admirable sense of adventure was a feature of the opening exchanges before Ruud van Nistelrooy concluded a typically swift United counter-attack by scoring his 10th goal in his last six games and, Charity Shield included, his 20th of an increasingly productive season.
It was a move that began in their own half. United worked the ball forward with equal measures of pace and purpose and, when Nicky Butt and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer combined to send Mickael Silvestre scampering along the left, the French full back swung over a cross so sumptuous that Van Nistelrooy could hardly turn the offer down.
Unchallenged and six yards from Shay Given's goal, the Dutchman's header was straightforward for a player on such form.
Living up to all the expectations, it was an enthralling opening half in which Newcastle had their moments. Only Phil Neville's astute positioning from a Nolberto Solano corner prevented the visitors taking a seventh-minute lead, the defender heading Gary Speed's volley off the goal-line after Nikos Dabizas had headed back across goal.
Fabien Barthez denied Speed for a second time and, just before the interval, Solano headed in Robbie Elliott's cross only for Jones, quite rightly, to rule he had impeded Silvestre in jumping for the ball. United, nevertheless, did not look impenetrable.
Yet the home side, with Van Nistelrooy irrepressible, always carried a more potent threat going forward and, within five minutes of the restart, they had the breathing space they so desperately craved.
Again, Silvestre was the catalyst with his willingness to move from defence to attack at every opportunity. His square pass picked out Solskjaer in the penalty area and the Norwegian's delicate touch was measured with perfection for Paul Scholes, turning and shooting in one movement, to fire low and hard beyond into the right-hand corner of Given's net.
By the 63rd minute there could be no doubting the outcome. Roy Keane collected Solskjaer's pass, motored down the right and, after waiting what seemed like an age, delivered a precise centre for Scholes to prod in at close range.
Alan Shearer finally had his say, heading in Elliott's inviting cross, but by that stage a sixth successive win for Ferguson's side was all but confirmed.
Keane said later Manchester United's rejuvenated title charge is down to improved defending.
"We've done well over last month or so, but we've said all along there's a long way to go. We've had a bad run and hopefully that's behind us now," he told Sky Sports.
"We've not given away any daft goals in the last month or so. Our concentration levels are better and we've had a settled back four."
MAN UTD: Barthez, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Blanc, Silvestre, Scholes, Veron, Keane, Butt, Solskjaer (Beckham 85), van Nistelrooy (Yorke 66). Subs Not Used: Carroll, O'Shea, Irwin. Booked: Solskjaer. Goals: van Nistelrooy 24, Scholes 50, 62.
NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Distin, Dabizas, Elliott, Dyer, Lee, Solano (Bernard 81), Speed, Bellamy (Ameobi 81), Shearer. Subs Not Used: O'Brien, Harper, Lua-Lua. Booked: Solano. Goals: Shearer 69.
Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).
