Young Delighted With Vital Victory

Ashley Young described Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Newcastle as "crucial" after the winger struck a late winner at St James' Park.

The 29-year-old produced another impressive performance on the left flank, and capitalised on confusion in the Magpies' area to fire United into the lead with just a minute of normal time remaining.

Louis van Gaal's side again dominated for long periods of the game without finding the net, but Young says the eventual winner has given the Reds a boost in the race for a Champions League spot.

“It was a hard-fought win," he told MUTV and BT Sport. "We knew we had to come here and get three points and we got our reward. We had chances in the first half but just couldn’t put them away. We knew we’d get another chance - luckily it fell to me and I scored.

“People are always going to question the biggest club in the world, but we just concentrate on ourselves. We don’t listen to anyone else, we just listen to the manager and the staff at the club. We heard the other results and know that the teams around us are winning. So it was a really crucial win.

"I thought it was great work by Wayne [Rooney] to pressure their defenders," added Young in reference to the skipper's role in the goal. "When the ball fell to my feet I just had to steady myself and put it away. I had a chance before that, but thankfully we got the goal and all three points which is what we came here to do."

Attentions now turn to Monday's FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal, with Young's first league goal since January 2014 maintaining United's place in the top four going into the long weekend. The midfielder is delighted with his current run of form, and says there is plenty of competition for places in the squad ahead of some important upcoming fixtures.

“We knew this was going to be a tough week with the games we’ve got coming up, but we’ve got great team spirit here, a great bond, and we have to fight for places."