REDS NEED TURNAROUND BUT KEEP WINNING RUN GOING
Well Kevin Keegan may have started the season managing Newcastle and the Geordies came to Old Trafford to open the season. Slight problem, we wound up having to settle for a 1-1 draw! Such was the story of the early part of our season. However, the Newcastle board are one of those that don't know what they're doing and Keegan was forced out, initially replaced by Chris Hughton, before someone managed to bring Joe Kinnear back from the dead! Now the Geordies are part of the relegation battle. While we're odds on for the title. A Premiership game at St James Park can never be taken for granted though. van de Saar in goal, Rio and Vidic central defence, Carrick and Fletcher centre mid, Park left mid. Rooney and Berbatov up front.
Well the early stages of the match showed that one goalkeeping record won't be broken this season. van de Saar could only palm out Jonas Guiterrez's 9th minute shot and Peter Lovenkrants tapped in the rebound. It was the first time MUFC had gone behind in a game in 2009 but though the Magpies could have gone two up, United levelled in the 20th minute after O'Shea set up Rooney who fired in another scorcher against the Geordies. After that it was the Reds that were having the better game though the home side were doing enough to suggest that they could retake the lead. Our defence were certainly looking iffy at times. Seemingly anyone's game in the second half.
The Geordies fancied their chances early on in the second half but this time around there were no blunders at the back. At least not at our end. In the 56th minute though the Geordies botched a back pass and Berbatov came though to give the Reds the lead. After that it was certainly United's show and as the game wore down, it was looking to be a case of "all's well that ends well". Newcastle still had something to say about that, and gave us something to think about late on. The Reds certainly weren't going to gift the home side another goal though. So, maybe we look slightly less invincible that we were but still, that'll be another three points thank you very much.
Elsewhere, Chelsea faced Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The match certainly proved to be exciting with Guus Hiddink's crew having a slight edge in the first half but they were unable to find the net with Pompey putting up as much a fight as possible. In the second half Chelsea wound up dodging a few bullets but after a while Pompey were having to go all-out defence and their resistance eventually broke when Didier Drogba hit the winner. That leaves United still top of the Premiership, seven points clear of nearest challengers Chelsea with a game in hand. The competition for the title is running out of games in which to catch us and are still hoping for us to collapse. Unlikely.
North of the border, Aberdeen faced St Mirren at St Mirren Park in the SPL. The Dons didn't have the best of first halves and were lucky not to go a goal down early on, their poor form seemingly continuing with injuries added to their burden. The Dons certainly stepped up a gear early on in the second half, but even then, the Buddies came back and eventually the hit the net thanks to Craig Dargo. However the Dons did manage to grab an equaliser in the dying seconds, Tommy Wright getting his first goal for the Reds. Jimmy Calderwood may say that he's not planning to go south of the border any time soon but that's about the only good news for the Dons at the moment.
Elsewhere, Dundee United beat Falkirk 1-0 at Falkirk Park, the Tangerines picking up their first win since Janurary thanks to a first half penality stupidly conceded. Given that the visitors did have the better game overall though, Falkirk fans don't have much to complain about. Hibs beat Hamilton 1-0 at New Douglas Park with the Edinburgh side getting a late winner while Motherwell were beaten 2-1 by Hearts at Tynecastle, Well losing the match in the last seconds. That leaves the Dons remaining 5th in the SPL, now three points behind Dundee United and the Europa League spots and four points ahead of Motherwell and the bottom half of the table.
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