GRAEME Souness signalled a change in Newcastle's transfer policy last week when he echoed Alan Hansen's famous assertion that "you can't win anything with kids".

Ultimately, yesterday's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United proved him right but, by naming a side that included two teenagers and two 21-year-olds, the Scot as least proved that you can restore a reputation that has been battered and bruised in the last seven days.

A week after one Newcastle side produced one of the meekest and most embarrassing displays in the club's history, a different line-up almost pulled off one of the shocks of the season at Old Trafford.

The fact that it did not contain Nicky Butt, Celestine Babayaro or, for more than 84 minutes, Laurent Robert should have given Souness a clear hint of the direction he needs to move in next season.

Instead of players whose commitment to the cause is questionable at best, the Scot put his faith in the likes of Darren Ambrose, Charles N'Zogbia, James Milner and Peter Ramage. He was rewarded with a performance as committed as last weekend's had been calamitous.

He also looked like walking away with all three points when Ambrose's polished finish fired Newcastle into a deserved first-half lead.

But, while second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney and Wes Brown ensured the Magpies would finish with their sixth defeat from the last seven games, it was pride rather than points that was always going to be the most valuable commodity on offer at Old Trafford.

Newcastle finished with plenty of that and, while the likes of Ambrose and Milner have yet to prove they are capable of securing the club's long-term future, they deserve to retain their place in the starting line-up for the rest of the season.

Similarly, Ramage deserves a run in the team after keeping Ryan Giggs quiet for the majority of yesterday's game. Middlesbrough's Tony McMahon made a similarly impressive debut at Old Trafford earlier this season and, while Ramage is as untried as he was at that stage, the youngster looks as exciting a prospect.

Whitley Bay-born Ramage, a product of Newcastle's Academy, lined up at right-back so that Stephen Carr could patrol in front of the back four. Neither Butt nor Amdy Faye could perform that role successfully in Cardiff but, for large tracts of yesterday's game, Carr embarrassed two international midfielders who are yet to prove their worth.

The Red Devils might have oozed confidence last weekend but, in the Premiership, Sir Alex Ferguson's side have stuttered badly of late, with last Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Everton merely the latest in a string of sorry displays.

They went into yesterday's game having gone three games without a goal in the league and, by extending Manchester United's barren run to 396 minutes, Newcastle went tantalisingly close to their first league win at Old Trafford since 1972.

On paper, Ambrose's 27th-minute opener represented something of a surprise but, in reality, the goal was a fitting culmination to an opening spell in which the visitors outfought and outplayed their illustrious opponents.

Ambrose, in particular, displayed the kind of youthful energy that was so conspicuously absent last weekend and, with N'Zogbia and Milner also breaking forward at every opportunity, Newcastle carried far more attacking threat than a supposedly stronger squad could muster in Cardiff.

Shola Ameobi set the tone in the fourth minute, chancing his arm from 20 yards after an intelligent lay-off from Milner, before Ambrose went close with a skidding volley that flew narrowly wide of the post following a weak defensive header from Gabriel Heinze.

It wasn't just Newcastle's attacking players that were asking questions of the Manchester United defence either.

Showing no sign of nerves, Ramage sent Shearer galloping clear with a quick throw in but, while the Newcastle skipper got to the ball ahead of Tim Howard, the back-pedalling Rio Ferdinand was able to hack his goalbound header to safety.

Howard has looked anything but comfortable all season and, just seven minutes later, the American was left with his head in his hands as Ambrose fired the Magpies into an unexpected lead.

The Manchester United goalkeeper made a complete hash of clearing his lines but, while his upfield punt went straight to the feet of the former Ipswich midfielder, a gaggle of red-shirted defenders looked certain to deal with the danger.

They weren't able to, as a quick one-two with Ameobi sliced them in two, allowing Ambrose to waltz round both Brown and Heinze before guiding a precise finish past the helpless Howard.

The 21-year-old's last goal was also a belter - a rasping long-range drive in October's defeat to Bolton - but, while the quality of his finish was unquestionable, one can only wonder what Sir Alex Ferguson made of his goalkeeper's latest gaffe. Surely the confidence of Shay Given at the other end will not have escaped his attention.

Given's key first-half intervention was an 18th-minute save from Rooney after the England international had cut in from the right flank but, other than a couple of punches under pressure, the Irishman remained relatively untested before the break.

Perhaps inevitably, that all changed after the interval. Yet, when the home side levelled shortly before the hour mark, it was Rooney's brilliance rather than any defensive deficiency that was the crucial factor.

Ramage nodded Roy Keane's long ball into his path and, without breaking stride, Rooney lashed an unstoppable first-time volley past Given from 25 yards to score one of the goals of the season.

The goal could have crushed Newcastle but, while the bulk of Souness' players lacked experience, they displayed enough battling qualities to ensure Manchester United did not have things their own way for the second weekend in a row.

But, just as the home side appeared to be running out of ideas, Ameobi lost track of Brown and the centre-half headed home Ryan Giggs' left-wing corner.

The defeat means that, with five games to go, Newcastle can forget about Europe and are still not mathematically safe from the drop. The performance, though, suggested better times might still be ahead

Result: Manchester United 2 Newcastle United 1.

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.