Half time: Magpies 0 Red Devils 0

72mins A corner kick by the visitors was over-hit and Miguel Almiron came forward in possession down the Newcastle left, finding Alain Saint-Maximin in his own half with an astute forward pass.

The Frenchman charged forward with a posse of defenders snapping at his heels, ignoring the unmarked Andy Carroll peeling away to his right, he threaded a ball to Jetro Willems - who just managed to check his run and remain onside - towards the left side of the box. 

The Dutchman cut inside but found his route to goal blocked, opting to tee up Matty Longstaff who ran onto the ball and stroked a perfect low drive beyond David De Gea and into the bottom corner of the Gallowgate goal to spark wild celebrations among players and supporters. 

Saint-Maximin had continued his run and was in the goal when Longstaff's shot came, wisely staying put in order to avoid any chance of invalidating his side's goal. 1-0

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Full time: Magpies 1 Red Devils 0

Steve Bruce said:

"When you lose badly everyone comes under the pump. Thankfully we responded and for a young kid to make his debut and blast one in from 20 yards is something else. 

"I've waited something like 20 years for a result against Manchester United. I'm delighted for everybody. What we needed was a response after last week and that was there for everyone to see.

"All you can do is answer your critics by getting a result. We knew this run was going to be difficult. 

"I hope this is the turning point. I know I'm not going to be everyone's cup of tea but the nonsense that flies around is insulting. Hopefully this helps the cause.

"To beat a club of Manchester United's size is always a special thing. Considering the start we've had and the teams we've played, eight points - we'll accept it.

"They (the Longstaffs) are a very proud family. For one of your sons to be playing, let alone the two - and 19 & 21 years old - it's something else. When it fell to him (Matty), I thought I've seen him drill them in in training but to do it on the big stage...

"He's been a breath of fresh air. He just wants to play football. I thought who's this ginger kid when we were in China. He's been good in training. It didn't faze him. He enjoyed it. He probably didn't sleep well last night. He won't get much sleep again tonight. 

"It's quite a story. I've been going 20 odd years and not been able to beat Manchester United and he's done it straight away."

In his pre-game press call on Friday, Bruce had initially made the following comments "off the record" to written journalists, but then agreed that they could be made public:

"The two or three times I’ve tried to change us, including Brighton at home and Norwich, where we started with a 5-3-2 and played three in the middle of the park, it didn’t really work.

"I quickly worked out at Norwich that we didn’t have the players with the capability to play the way I’d envisaged. Norwich played through us repeatedly. I learnt from that day, and it’s happened again (at Leicester).

"Looking at the way the team is happiest, you’d say we’ll play with five at the back, with two No 10s, and we’ll sit deep and play on the counterattack. We changed for that game, and we changed because that is the way they had played for six months.

"Everywhere you look, you’ve got to be big and physical and have the ability to run. Unfortunately that is one thing here now, from the back to my midfield, we haven’t got. Until we’ve got that, we’re going to have to sit deep and play on the counter attack.

"Is the team equipped to stay up? Yeah, certainly. 

"Look, we had a horrible, horrible day last week. When you look at the physical stats of it, we’re not doing enough. 

"Maybe we didn’t show enough resilience, I agree. There is not a dispute that the players are with me. I haven’t witnessed anything like that. The only thing you can try now is to have a response after a horror show like that.

”But we're Newcastle - there's always a storm, so we've just got to keep riding the storm if possible and get on with it. We have to batten down the hatches, get on with it and get a few results." 

Longstaff quotes:

Matty:

"Last night you go to bed dreaming of this but you never think it’s going to happen. I’m over the moon – I’m speechless.

"I found out yesterday after training when the team was read out. I was getting ready to go and do extra shooting thinking I wasn’t playing. Butterflies started to go yesterday and looking forward to going out, to do it was even better. It’s a big thing and I was buzzing.

"I just thought hit and hope and luckily it’s hit the back of the net and I’ve run away celebrating. It’s more hit and hope than placement. Can’t really describe it - running away to the fans and cheering, it’s a surreal feeling.

"I thought it was in the first half, I was bit disappointed with that one. To get that one in the second half front of the Gallowgate is something special.

"Getting to play with Sean was unbelievable. We used to kick each other in the garden growing up so to be on the same team for our hometown club, and to win against Manchester United - who are a good side - is a bit surreal."

When presented with the Sky Man of the Match award by his brother: 

"I thought he (Sean) was the best player, but I’ll take it."

Sean:

"It's unbelievable! I was speaking to Yeds (DeAndre Yedlin), walking across the pitch, and he said it's so crazy you're going to play together and, when he said it, it sort of hit me a little bit.

"And, I think you can see the lift he gave everyone - he was buzzing about, tackling people, and he was unbelievable. and he gave everyone a massive lift. He gave, probably, the whole place a lift, to be honest.

"I'm over the moon for him. If I'm being honest he's been unlucky to be out of the team. But today he's been a breath of fresh air.

"It was great, you look how lively it is, he gets around the pitch and makes my job much easier. Usually he's bouncing around the house but last night he was the quietest I've ever seen him. He was outstanding and deserves all the credit he's going to get.

"It's massive, last week was unacceptable but it was one game, you have to move on from it but it's a great response from everyone. It's been a tough week in training but then stadium was packed. Another great day and I'm just over the moon for him and the team."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: 

"We've given ourselves a big, big uphill challenge to get among the top four but it's tight and we need to get a run together.

"It will take however long it will have to take. It's a journey we've started on and the culture is getting there. I can't give you any time but we're getting there.

"We've come together and discussed the direction we're going. If you only work on sunny days, you'll never get to your destination. We'll have these days, but we know where we want to get to.

"We don't create enough chances to win a game of football. Luckily for us it's now the international break.

"We will sit down, hopefully we'll get some players back, and we will evaluate what's gone on over these eight games.

"It's my responsibility. I need to sort their heads out. Young boys lacking confidence - they need some help from experienced players and staff.

"Confidence is a big thing in players, and only performances and results will give you confidence.

"At the moment, when there is a decision to be made, the players don't do it instinctively. That's what we've been working on, so it's the perfect time for the international break.

"This is not a similar situation to when I was sat here after Everton last season when I felt people had given up and they don't give what they have for the shirt. These boys give everything they've got for the shirt. And we'll get there again.

"I have to say sorry to the fans that we're not winning games. But that's down to the fact we have started a rebuild.

"We'll work towards Liverpool - we've analysed them many a time before - but we need to find a solution to our game. Is it a little tactical tweak or whatever? Because we've stuck to the same principles, same starting line-up and system every game. We just need to make a decision if this is the way to go.

"Eight games is not a big amount of games so we'll probably continue as we are."

David de Gea:

"Everything. I think a lot of things need to improve. They were the better team today.

"I don't know what to say, really. Just keep trying, keep fighting, keep improving every day. It's a hard moment for us, a difficult moment, but we are United and we need to keep fighting."

"Yeah. Probably the worst time, most difficult time, since I've been here. I don't know. I don't know what is happening. Come on, we cannot score even one goal in two games. Sorry to the fans.

"We will keep fighting for sure, we will come back, but at the moment we are in a difficult situation. It's a hard moment for us. The most difficult time since I've been here. I don't know why or what is happening."
 

What was shaping up to be the night of the long knives following last week's diabolical showing at Leicester instead turned out to be the night of the Longstaffs for Steve Bruce and Newcastle.

Handed a Premier League debut following Isaac Hayden's suspension, teenager Matty Longstaff capped a fine display by rifling home a memorable winner to defeat the clueless Red Devils.

The 19 year-old joined brother Sean to form a new central midfield partnership and both performed superbly, Matty capping his wholehearted contribution with a fabulous fairytale winner.

Striking the Leazes End crossbar with a fine strike in the first half, better was to follow as Matty emulated his pre-season effort against St. Etienne to register our first home win of the season.

It was a world apart from last week's disaster at Leicester and a personal triumph for Bruce, who broke his Gallowgate duck and finally registered a first career victory against his old team. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's misfiring Mancs rarely threatened their hosts, who worked tirelessly to stifle the opposition and hit them on the break in the style of a certain Spanish Manager. Like the 1-0 success at Spurs, Newcastle found a way to win - abetted by impotent and skittish opponents.

The Magpies Head Coach went with a back three that included Ciaran Clark in place of Paul Dummett, alongside Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar, DeAndre Yedlin and Willems at wing back.

But it was the pairing of the Longstaffs that caused the biggest stir; Matty replacing the suspended Isaac Hayden while Jonjo Shelvey remained on the bench and Ki dropped out of the squad entirely. 

Hayden's indiscretion against the Foxes, Ki's poor showing in that game and Jonjo Shelvey's form and fitness all played their part, as did the decision to let Mo Diame leave the club last season.

This wasn't quite a shot in the dark for Bruce; Matty featuring in all five pre-season games and given a competitive senior debut against Leicester City in the League Cup. His tender years meant that no place in the 25 man senior squad was needed for him, but his head coach had obviously seen enough to omit both Jack Colback and Henri Saivet.

Ultimately though, after seven games, Bruce had nothing to lose: a situation exemplified by press comments late last week that were a mixture of frustration, exasperation and desperation. 

Matty's selection worked to perfection as the Longstaffs did themselves, their family and the fans proud; restoring much-needed pride back to the Geordie nation with honest, industrious displays.

The home side enjoyed the better of the first half exchanges and aside from Matty's shot, created viable chances for Fabian Schar (who headed a corner just over) and Miguel Almiron, who twice had sight of goal but on both occasions saw his shots blocked by defenders.

However the chance of the game fell to Harry Maguire in the final seconds of the opening 45, left totally unmarked following a corner kick but somehow heading wide from just six yards.

Allan Saint-Maximin was fit enough to start for only the second time - the first being at Spurs - and his mazy runs were our main threat and source of anticipation for Newcastle fans. His contribution had waned after the break though and Christian Atsu was warming up when the breakthrough came.

Almiron, Saint-Maximin and Willems combined to work the ball from one box to the other, before Matty struck to at least temporarily lift the all-pervading gloom round these parts - and make the imminent international break slightly more bearable. 

What comes next for the brothers - and their manager - remains to be seen, but if nothing else, they'll have today in the memory bank, as will those present here.

The whole side deserve great credit for an organised, committed and full-blooded display that shamed the expensively-assembled Red Devils and was a million miles from last week's surrender.

One by-product of introducing the younger Longstaff was that Sean looked more like his old self, while DeAndre Yedlin stuck to his task in what was his first start since April.

The unprecedented rottenness of the opposition has to be factored in though, along with the fact that our cautious approach did nothing to help Joelinton get into the game and it took the arrival of Andy Carroll to give the attack a focal point. 

Maybe one day they'll get to play together, or the older one will give the younger one some guidance about the Premier League, as goalscoring so far is the major problem that we're yet to surmount. On that basis, the return of Dwight Gayle to the squad today was another boost.

Victory took the Magpies out of the relegation zone and up to the dizzy heights of sixteenth, just a solitary point behind today's visitors, who may soon react to that situation by changing managers.

As vital and uplifting as the result was though, the fact that the Head Coach challenged his players and got the desired effect is almost as significant. Bruce may not win many popularity contests in the stands at SJP, but claims that he'd lost the dressing room seem inaccurate at this point in time.  

Biffa