Newcastle vs Manchester United report: Wayne Rooney goal cancelled out by Paul Dummett's late strike in thriller

Newcastle United 3 Manchester United 3

(Getty Images)

Louis van Gaal might want to go back to being bored by Manchester United after this. The excitement of a 3-3 draw does not last long when your team has thrown victory away in the final minute.

Paul Dummett’s deflected strike in the 90th minute earned Newcastle a deserved point at St James’ Park, but the visitors had victory in the bag more than once and blew it each time. Two goals by Wayne Rooney and one from Jesse Lingard had twice given United the lead, but they spurned a handful of chances to win by some distance.

After finally finding their scoring touch, United could not keep them out at the other end, however, and they now go to Anfield on Sunday having won just one of their last eight league games, leaving Van Gaal under increasing pressure.

“Of course it feels like a defeat,” Van Gaal said. “We have given it away. It is not so interesting to create chances. In every press conference I say you have to score one more goal than the opponent.”

With both teams finding goals almost impossible to come by, anything but a goalless draw would have been a positive at kick-off. Van Gaal may have confessed to being “bored” by his own team’s football at times this season as they have toiled away, particularly at Old Trafford, but Newcastle went into this game having failed to score in any of their last four outings – all defeats – so it carried all of the appeal of a battle for the wooden spoon.

Wayne Rooney dispatches his penalty (Getty Images)

Having been so poor against Sheffield United at the weekend, though, Van Gaal tried to inject pace into his team by dropping Juan Mata in favour of England Under-21 winger Lingard, who was selected ahead of Memphis Depay, despite the Dutchman’s impressive cameo on Saturday.

Depay would have had grounds to feel hard done by, with his contribution against the League One side effectively winning the game for United, but Lingard’s greater tactical discipline earned him the nod and the youngster justified his selection.

United, who sneaked a 1-0 win in Tyneside through Ashley Young’s late winner last season, have become a team with fragile confidence, however, and the lift of Rooney’s opening goal after just nine minutes was crucial to their subsequent dominance of the game.

Newcastle were rightly angered by Mike Dean’s decision to hand the visitors the penalty which led to United’s opener, though. Daley Blind’s inswinging corner had evaded Chancel Mbemba at the far post, leaving Marouane Fellaini to head back across the six-yard box. The ball struck Mbemba’s outstretched left arm, however, prompting Dean to point to the spot.

Even United’s players did not appeal, but Rooney was not going to pass up such a fortuitous chance to score and the England captain sent goalkeeper Rob Elliot the wrong way to score his second penalty in two games.

Having lost nine of their last 12 meetings with United at St James’, Newcastle were staring down the barrel again and Steve McClaren’s team allowed Van Gaal’s players to dominate, especially in midfield. It seemed only a matter of time before United doubled their lead. Ander Herrera saw his shot deflected wide and Rooney spurned a golden chance on 27 minutes after being released by Lingard, with his shot creeping just beyond Elliot’s far post.

Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates his strike (Getty Images)

David de Gea was then called into action for the first time a minute later, when the Spaniard produced a reflex save to deny Georginio Wijnaldum.

But United continued to dominate and made it 2-0 on 38 minutes when Rooney teed up Lingard to score from a tight angle. The goal was made by Herrera’s pass to Rooney, who held the ball up for Lingard, before releasing the winger to score.

But United failed to hold out until half-time, with Wijnaldum scoring on 42 minutes with a volley from Aleksandar Mitrovic’s knockdown.

Fellaini should have cleared Fabricio Coloccini’s ball into the box, but the Belgian allowed Mitrovic to beat him to the ball, leaving Wijnaldum with a simple chance.

At 2-0, United should have had the game wrapped up, but Wijnaldum’s strike gave Newcastle hope and also ended their 454-minute goal drought. If they could score one, why not another, and it ensured that the next goal would be crucial to the outcome of the game.

A third for United would surely pull them clear of danger, but a Newcastle equaliser would turn the game on its head – and it was only the alertness of De Gea that prevented Moussa Sissoko from hauling the home side level on 52 minutes.

Sissoko had found space inside the United six-yard box, but De Gea raced off his line and blocked the goalbound shot after the Newcastle midfielder had turned Young inside out to create the chance.

United began to sit too deep, despite the impressive performances of Rooney, Lingard and Anthony Martial further forward. Morgan Schneiderlin was left to hold the fort in midfield, but the Frenchman flourished with the responsibility and was one of his team’s best performers.

Lingard should have eased the burden on Schneiderlin on 56 minutes, though, when interplay between Martial and Herrera saw him receive the ball unmarked 10 yards out.

But with the goal at his mercy, Lingard leant back and sent a curling right-foot shot over the crossbar. It proved to be Lingard’s final contribution, with Van Gaal replacing him with Depay seven minutes later.

Newcastle sensed United’s anxiety. They continued to press for an equaliser and they were given the opportunity to level the scores when Dean pointed to the spot after Chris Smalling had wrestled Mitrovic to the ground while defending a corner.

It was a stupid foul by Smalling, who allowed the Serbian forward to drag him into a physical scrap, but Dean was entirely correct and Mitrovic scored the penalty. Rooney then restored United’s lead with a stunner from 20 yards, capitalising on Dummett’s poor clearance, but the defender made amends at the death with a goal of similar quality.

Newcastle should have been dead and buried by then and United only have themselves to blame for failing to claim a much-needed win.