Newcastle old boy Andy Cole returned to haunt his former club with a precious double as the Manchester United bandwagon rolled on.

The England international struck with his 20th goal of the season after 25 minutes to cancel out Nolberto Solano's brilliant opener, and then added a second six minutes into the second half to clinch victory.

It was scarcely more than the Premiership leaders deserved from a highly-competitive game in which Newcastle played their part but rarely looked like winning after Cole's equaliser.

Ruud Gullit's side have come a long way since he took over the hot-seat, and this defeat was just their second in 12 outings.

But the visitors, led by the excellent Roy Keane, justified their billing as one of Europe's top sides with a highly-professional display.

Jaap Stam kept Alan Shearer quiet for most of the game, albeit with the benefit of a little help from referee David Elleray, who seemed to be in a benevolent mood, and apart from Solano's superb free-kick, the United goal was never really under threat.

Gullit's assertion that opposite number Alex Ferguson would select his strongest side despite Wednesday night's trip to Milan proved accurate with Ryan Giggs, Dwight Yorke and Cole all in a formidable starting line-up.

The Dutchman handed a return to last Sunday's goal hero Temuri Ketsbaia, who resumed his partnership with skipper Shearer, just one strike away from 150 in the Premiership.

Peruvian midfielder Solano, also rested for the midweek win at Nottingham Forest, came back, as did Greeks George Georgiadis and Nikos Dabizas.

In an untidy start, neither team was able to exert any telling pressure, although Manchester United's share of the possession will have been a concern for Gullit.

Mr Elleray was in the thick of the action, and the home side felt hard done by as a series of decisions that went against them.

But it was a decision which went in their favour that proved the key moment in the early stages as Stam was penalised for a bad tackle on German midfielder Dietmar Hamann.

Shearer and Hamann, both noted for the power of the shooting, stood over the ball, but it was surprise package Solano who skipped up to send a delicate curling shot arcing past Peter Schmeichel's despairing dive.

The ball clipped the inside of the Dane's left post before dropping into the opposite corner to send the home fans into wild celebrations.

However, even the most fervent Newcastle supporter knew that the game was far from over, and it took Ferguson's men just 10 minutes to restore parity.

That they did so courtesy of some slack defending will have been a major topic of Gullit's half-time team-talk, Henning Berg flicking on Gary Neville's throw-in and Yorke helping the ball towards goal before Cole toe-poked it home from close range.

Shearer had only two opportunities to improve his scoring tally, just failing to get above Didier Domi's 31st-minute cross to direct his header on goal, and then shooting well wide after Schmeichel mis-kicked a 36th-minute clearance.

Newcastle had a let-off when Neville found space down the right but could not pick out either Cole or Yorke, and Keane tested Shay Given with a firmly-struck 20-yard effort.

If Georgiadis' replacement by Rob Lee at half-time did not come as a surprise, Schmeichel's failure to re-appear did, Raimond van der Gouw taking his place.

But it was opposite number Given who was on the receiving end within six minutes of the restart as Giggs carved out a second opening for Cole.

The Welshman's curling cross enticed the keeper from his line, but the striker sneaked in before him to touch the ball into the open net.

Newcastle knew they had to up the pace if they were to drag themselves back into the game, but despite a wealth of possession, they never really put the United defence under any real pressure.

Indeed, van der Gouw did not have to make a serious save, Solano's overhit cross towards the far post on 70 minutes his most anxious moment of the half.

Shearer's frustration grew as Stam got away with a series of robust challenges which earned him a ticking off from Mr Elleray but nothing more serious.

Keane's experience came to the fore as the visitors gradually closed the game down, allowing the Magpies plenty of the ball but putting up the shutters at the back whenever they threatened.

Teams:

Newcastle: Given, Barton (Maric 83), Charvet, Dabizas, Domi, Hamann, Solano, Speed, Georgiadis (Lee 45), Ketsbaia (Saha 61), Shearer.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Griffin.

Booked: Georgiadis.

Goals: Solano 16.

Man Utd: Schmeichel (Van Der Gouw 45), G. Neville, Berg, Stam, Irwin, Keane, Beckham, Scholes (P. Neville 86),Giggs (Johnsen 73), Cole, Yorke.

Subs Not Used: Solskjaer, Blomqvist.

Booked: Irwin.

Goals: Cole 25, 51.

Att: 36,500

Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).