Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, left, celebrates his goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park, Newcastle, England, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
NEWCASTLE, England — Manchester United conceded a 90th-minute equalizer at Newcastle to draw 3-3 in the English Premier League on Tuesday, after a double from Wayne Rooney looked like giving Louis van Gaal’s under-fire team a third straight win.
Paul Dummett’s fierce shot from the edge of the area deflected into the top corner for Newcastle’s second equalizer in a thrilling game at St. James’ Park.
Rooney put United ahead from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, before setting up Jesse Lingard for the second goal from a quick counterattack near halftime.
Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic, also with a penalty, hauled Newcastle back level, only for Rooney — with a curling shot from 20 meters in the 79th — to restore United’s lead.
“It does feel like a defeat,” Rooney said. “If you take a two-goal lead, we should be taking all three points and killing the game off. We didn’t take all our chances and we have been punished for it.”
United dropped to sixth place in the standings in the race for Champions League qualification.
Amid fierce criticism of his side’s recent results and ponderous style of play, Van Gaal acknowledged that some of United’s matches left him “very bored.”
Van Gaal won’t be saying that about this game, with United’s early opening goal from the spot forcing Newcastle to commit forward and leave gaps in defense. It turned into one of the most entertaining games of the season.
The penalty converted by Rooney was awarded when Marouane Fellaini headed the ball at Chancel Mbemba’s hand from close range. Just like on Saturday in scoring the injury-time winner against Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round, Rooney made no mistake from the spot.
Rooney slipped a left-foot shot just wide before he was set free on another counter-attack. This time, the England captain held the ball up and picked out Lingard with a reverse pass that the young winger collected and side-footed into the net.
Newcastle replied right near the interval through Wijnaldum’s eighth goal of the season, a neat volley from 12 meters after running onto a header down by Mitrovic.
The second half was a furious contest and Lingard could have settled it, only to curl a shot over the crossbar — much to the anger of Van Gaal.
Newcastle started to dominate possession and territory, and got the goal it deserved after Mitrovic was adjudged to have been hauled down by Chris Smalling as they wrestled at a corner. The striker picked himself up and converted the penalty low, with David de Gea diving the wrong way.
Rooney put United ahead against the run of play, seizing on a loose ball after Memphis Depay’s shot was blocked and firing high into the far corner. It was Rooney’s fourth goal in three matches in 2016, and moved him to 241 goals for United, eight behind the club-record haul of Bobby Charlton.
Dummett, a local lad, had the final say.