Why Newcastle's 5-0 win over Man United should never have been the pinnacle for the Entertainers; A Newcastle United team that deserved a trophy were only left with memories and heartbreak.
Byline: Lee Ryder
So this proved to be the pinnacle for Kevin Keegan's Entertainers.
Twenty years on from a day in which Newcastle city centre was drunk dry after this famous result, we can only clutch to the memories of a game which saw Alex Ferguson's team pummelled fairly and squarely from start to finish.
Manchester United knew they were beaten by the better side and had failed to match their invention, creativity and potent finishing.
As Keegan stood at the top of the tunnel after the game, Eric Cantona shook his hand and then uttered: "You have a ******* good team."
It summed it up and let's be honest, it's probably the best Newcastle team most of us have watched in our lifetime.
I watched on in astonishment as the goals flew in on a never-to-be-forgotten day at St James' Park.
Yes, there was loud cheering and pandemonium as the game began sliding beyond the grasp of Man United, but there was also disbelief.
As each goal was scored there was a frantic check to see if the linesman had flagged or the referee had crumbled to appeals from Man United players.
But on this day, even Fergie time wouldn't have saved the Red Devils.
It started with Darren Peacock's header that Denis Irwin failed to clear off the line.
Then came David Ginola's howitzer to double the lead before half-time.
Les Ferdinand's goal beat Peter Schmeichel all ends up as he headed Alan Shearer's cross off the bar then the post.
Perhaps, the goal that summed up Newcastle's offensive performance on the day followed next.
Shearer probed down the left-wing and sprayed a pass to Peter Beardsley who rattled a shot at the big Dane in the Man United goal, Ferdinand followed up but was denied by another fine block, but Big Al would grab his goal against the team he turned down just weeks earlier.
Philippe Albert's chip was poetry in motion - and perhaps it was fitting that the popular centre-back that Keegan encouraged to get forward scored such a wonderful goal to put the lid on this fine win.
The 5-0 victory was a performance long in the making.
When Newcastle were promoted in 1993, Keegan had said: "Watch out Fergie we're after your title."
Some might have said he was crazy for doing so, but in the first season Newcastle finished third and then sixth 12 months later as they battled to be the best team in the country.
The prelude to the 5-0 win was the 1995/96 season, a campaign that will forever be etched into my memory because it was such an exciting time.
In the early 1990s...
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