ALAN SHEARER showed his customary cool on the day Roy Keane's red-hot temper betrayed the spirit of a magnificent cut-and-thrust encounter which ranks as one of the greatest games the Premiership has witnessed.

Manchester United captain Keane, sent off here two seasons ago, was dismissed by referee Steve Bennett deep in injury time for lashing out at match-winner Shearer.

The Newcastle skipper had indulged in a little gamesmanship in holding up Keane's attempt to take a throw-in, and the Republic of Ireland midfielder reacted by bouncing the ball off Shearer's head before angrily raising a hand to his rival.

At the end of a week in which football, like much else in life, had been placed in context by the horrific events in the United States, Keane's petulant act of aggression brought shame on a game which continues to exaggerate its own importance.

It did not help that Sir Alex Ferguson issued confused and contradictory statements when it would have been more appropriate had the Manchester United manager for once delivered an unequivocal condemnation of his skipper's disgraceful conduct.

Yet, ultimately, he claimed that the snarling Keane, guilty of many past on-field misdemeanours, had been the victim of an anomalous disciplinary system.

"I don't think it was a serious offence,'' said Ferguson.

"In the last minute of the game, the crowd are going to force the referee into a situation like that. If it had been a home player, he probably wouldn't have been sent off.

"It wasn't as if Roy cut his head off. He was sent off for throwing the ball. I spoke to Roy and Gary Neville and they said Shearer had stopped them taking a throw-in. That's to be expected - players are always going to waste time when they're leading with a minute to go. Roy knows he left the referee no option.

"But he'll get a three-game ban for that red card and when you see some of the things that go on in football, it makes it all so stupid.

"Players are elbowing opponents and only getting a one-match ban - it's quite amazing. That's the unfairness of it.''

Shearer restricted his response to a terse remark open to interpretation, but which suggested Keane's actions were typical of a team widely regarded as sore losers. "That's Manchester United - that's their problem,'' said Shearer.

The pity was that this, on the whole, was a match to treasure, one to be talked about for generations.

Others which more than stick in Geordie minds in the nine-year history of the Premiership are the "Haway Five-0'' defeat of Manchester United at St. James' Park, and the 4-3 games at Liverpool which Newcastle lost in such agonising fashion.

Now, however, 4-3 has a whole new meaning on Tyneside, and Shearer believes this triumph transcends the 5-0 thrashing of Ferguson's side almost five years ago.

Newcastle led twice and the visitors levelled from 3-1 down before Shearer's decisive finish. "This is as sweet as it comes - what an unbelievable game,'' enthused Shearer. "I think that eclipsed the 5-0 win here. It's a great feeling - it's not every day you beat the champions.

"Some of the football played from both teams was exceptional. They're a better side than us and a better-equipped side.

"Winning breeds confidence and you don't get better confidence than beating Man. United. In my opinion they'll win the league.

"They played some world-class football - I was dizzy at times - and when they brought Paul Scholes on it seemed as though they had three or four more players.

"But I thought we had a clear penalty turned down in the first half when Phil Neville fouled Craig Bellamy. Craig was fantastic and if we can keep everyone fit and get Kieron Dyer and Carl Cort back, we'll have a chance of qualifying for Europe.''

It was a wonderful way for Bobby Robson to mark his 100th competitive game as Newcastle boss, a throwback to the cavalier days of Kevin Keegan when the Magpies went out to win every game by outscoring the opposition.

"It was a remarkable match,'' said Robson. "It could easily have ended 6-6. I think this was better than those 4-3 games against Liverpool, because Newcastle won this one!

"I would have thought it was one of the best games the Premiership has seen. I think a lot of teams will be gratified that we've beaten Man. United, but they won't be beaten too many times.

"I'm not saying we're going to just throw everything forward, but we should score goals.

"If Nobby Solano settles with us, and Laurent Robert obviously will, with those two wide players and strength through the middle with Shearer, Bellamy, Dyer, Cort, Shola Ameobi and Lomana Lualua, we've got a potent force.''

Frenchman Robert set the tone for this extraordinary game in the fifth minute when he scored his first home goal with a brilliant left-footed free-kick from 25 yards.

And Shearer revealed: "It was touch and go whether he would play because he was ill before the game.

"But I don't think he was too ill when he took that free-kick!''

The visitors replied in the 28th minute through Robson protege Ruud van Nistelrooy, when the former PSV Eindhoven striker latched on to Andy Cole's superb knockdown to turn Andy O'Brien delightfully and ram the ball beyond keeper Shay Given.

But Newcastle were back in front six minutes later when Fabien Barthez was at fault with a Robert Lee drive which struck the French keeper's outstretched leg before looping into the net.

Nikos Dabizas reacted first to give Newcastle a two-goal cushion seven minutes into the second half, firing in after Robert had driven the ball into a congested penalty area.

But the introduction of Scholes in place of a far from happy Cole paid an immediate dividend in the 62nd minute when the England schemer found Gary Neville whose cross was whipped home first time by Ryan Giggs - with his right foot.

Two minutes later, Giggs' ball up to van Nistelrooy broke to Juan Sebastian Veron, who hammered in with venom from the edge of the box.

But eight minutes from time, Shearer - who insists he is still only "75 to 80 per cent fit'' after his comeback from knee surgery - saw his shot diverted in by Wes Brown after Solano's effort had been saved by the foot of Barthez.

Scholes, however, then had two chances to win the game before Bellamy screwed wide after rounding Barthez.

Then came that ugly finale, but Sir Alex at least made sense when he said: "You have to give Newcastle credit. When you have a go at us like that, with two wide players and the pace of Bellamy in the middle, there's an intent about them and they're difficult to handle. I think a lot of teams will find that here.

"The passion of the crowd also helps them. We've always found it quite difficult here and this was no different.''

Newcastle, now unbeaten in their last 13 competitive games, have scored 18 goals in six outings since the start of the Premiership season - 13 in four at home.

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