EPL: Newcastle United 0-3 Manchester United
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MANCHESTER United players celebrate after a spectacular effort by Tom Cleverley (second from right) led the Red Devils to a 3-0 victory at Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday. -- Photo: AP
LONDON (REUTERS) - A TURBO-charged start yielding two goals in the opening 15 minutes and a spectacular effort by Tom Cleverley led Manchester United to a 3-0 victory at Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Manchester United, desperate to bounce back from last weekend's surprise 3-2 home defeat by Spurs, made a high-tempo start at Newcastle and were rewarded in the eighth minute when defender Jonny Evans scored with a towering header from a corner.
Newcastle had a lucky escape four minutes later when keeper Steve Harper was robbed as he tried to dribble around Danny Welbeck on the edge of the penalty box and the United striker slid the ball wide of an empty net.
Harper then dived full-length to deny man of the match Wayne Rooney but Patrice Evra made it 2-0 when he nodded in a corner at the near post.
Newcastle raised their game in the second period and twice went close to pulling a goal back in the 50th minute.
Demba Ba shook the post with a header before goalkeeper David de Gea clawed away Papiss Cisse's follow-up attempt with the ball perilously close to going over the line.
Cleverley capped a sparkling show from Manchester United by curling a 25-metre shot into the top corner of Harper's net in the 71st minute.
The win lifted Alex Ferguson's team up to second in the table, level on 15 points with Manchester City. Chelsea are top on 19 after sweeping Norwich City aside 4-1 on Saturday.
