Newcastle United travelled to Old Trafford this afternoon knowing that victory was unlikely against the Premier League leaders, Manchester United.

The Magpies haven't won a league match at Old Trafford in over 30 years but took the lead on three occasions this afternoon.

However, goals from James Perch and Papiss Cisse, coupled with a controversial Jonny Evans own goal, were all pegged back by strikes from Evans at the right end, Patrice Evra and Robin van Persie before Javier Hernandez won the game in the 91st minute.

Here, Sports Mole picks the bones out of a remarkable Boxing Day clash.

Match statistics:

United:
Shots 16
On target 10
Possession 54%
Corners 2
Fouls 12

Newcastle:
Shots 16
On target 11
Possession 46%
Corners 2
Fouls 16

Was the result fair?

Not really, no. Newcastle more than deserved a point for their creditable football throughout the match. They troubled a suspicious United backline over and over again, taking the lead three times in the match but somehow not even taking a point from the clash.

United's performance

Below par. The hosts' back four looked shaky from the word go and all three goals conceded will displease Ferguson. Perhaps they were a little unlucky to concede the second as Cisse's offside position may have caused Evans extra problems that eventually led to him poking into his own net. The veteran duo of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs didn't cover themselves in glory while Michael Carrick, for the most part, was nowhere near his man-of-the-match performance at Swansea at the weekend. The deep-lying playmaker did manage, however, to pick out the match winning pass for Hernandez.

Newcastle's performance

It hasn't been quite such an easy ride for Newcastle this season but they were excellent this afternoon. Pardew is missing some key players but the XI who went out did more than enough for at least a point. Ultimately it was defensive incapability that cost them as all four goals could be attributed to lapses at the back.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Papiss Cisse: Newcastle's number nine has struggled to replicate his mesmeric first season in the Premier League this term but he put in one of his best displays of the campaign this afternoon. Regularly a thorn in the United left-hand side, Cisse's running caused constant problems and he capped it off with a fine goal for the Magpies' third.

Biggest gaffe

Despite the fact that he won the game, Hernandez takes this award for his glaring miss from six yards when all the Mexican had to do was get his header on target.

Referee performance

Mike Dean had one of his harder days at the office, for sure. According to the official rules, Dean was right to award Newcastle's second as Cisse hadn't played the ball when Evans lunged in front of him to prod past David de Gea. However, surely the Senegalese's position ahead of the last man was an interference? Dean had to award plenty of yellow cards in a tough tackling match as well. Antonio Valencia should have probably been given a second booking for a nasty challenge that saw Vurnon Anita leave the field on a stretcher in the dying moments, while United could have had a penalty when Coloccini blocked Hernandez's shot with his arms.

What next?

United: Next to visit Old Trafford is West Brom on Saturday.

Newcastle: The Magpies, meanwhile, face a second tough trip to Arsenal on the same day.