A SECOND-HALF goal from Matt Ritchie and a sting of superb saves from debutant goalkeeper Martin Dubravka secured a priceless win for Newcastle.

It was the Magpies’ first win at home in the League since October, dragging them out of the drop zone and up to 13th in the process.

“There have been so many games here that we deserved to win but we have been unlucky,” said Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, “so to do it against a top side in front of our fans was fantastic.”

Defeat leaves his counterpart Jose Mourinho still searching for his first league win on Tyneside at the seventh time of asking. It also leaves his Manchester United team languishing 16 points behind their cross-city rivals.

Despite his disappointment the United manager had praise for the home side. “After the 1-0 the Newcastle United players fought for their lives and that is a beautiful thing in football,” said Mourinho. “But obviously I am disappointed because I think we did more than enough to come away with the points."

Newcastle made all the running in the first 15 minutes, crafting five chances, to the visitors’ none. It was not until the 32nd minute that the Red Devils put any pressure on Dubravka in the home goal. Alexis Sanchez played in Jesse Lingard but the debutant keeper was able to turn the deflected shot wide.

Three minutes later United broke on the counter attack. Nemanja Matic played a long defence-splitting pass through to Anthony Martial marauding into the box but Dubravka, on loan from Sparta Prague, was equal to the challenge, turning the low shot away for a corner.

United started the second half with more intensity. Lukaku had the ball in the back of the net after 52 minutes but it was disallowed for Chris Smalling’s foul on Paul Dummett. Two minutes later Sanchez found himself unmarked with the goal seemingly at his mercy only to see his shot blocked by Florian Lejeune.

But it was the home side who made the breakthrough in the 65th minute after Smalling was booked for a dive. Lejeune rose to meet the resulting free kick, Dwight Gayle did well to keep the ball alive for Ritchie to hammer home low past David De Gea.

The visitors came close to an equaliser deep in injury time when Juan Mata’s low cross was flashed towards goal by Michael Carrick, but again Dubravka was equal to the challenge.