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NEWCASTLE, England, March 4 (Reuters) - Manager Eddie Howe celebrated a great night for Newcastle on Wednesday as his 10-man side ended Michael Carrick's unbeaten run as Manchester United interim boss.

William Osula came off the bench to score a spectacular 90th-minute solo winner as the hosts won the Premier League clash 2-1 at St James' Park after being a man down for the entire second half.

"Probably with the sending off it turned it into a really famous victory for us," said Howe, whose side needed a boost with big games coming up including Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League.

"Even though you have 10, you've got to try and give the opposition a problem. I thought we did that."

The defeat left Manchester United nine points adrift of second-placed Manchester City, held 2-2 at home by struggling Nottingham Forest, and still level with Aston Villa on 51 points.

Newcastle are 12th, now only a point behind fierce rivals Sunderland.

HARD TO TELL WHICH TEAM HAD 10

At times in the second half it was hard to tell which was the side with 10 men.

The third-placed side who arrived on Tyneside parading the firepower -- Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko -- that Newcastle would have loved to sign last year ended up looking short of sparkle.

Newcastle, after three home league games without a win, hit their stride in adversity.

"We're not happy with the way we played the game tonight," said Carrick, a boyhood Newcastle fan who had gone seven games unbeaten since taking over at Old Trafford but now has to find fresh motivation.

"I don't think it was the 10 men. We just didn't play good enough tonight. We can't make any excuses for that.

"They deserved to win tonight... tonight hurts, because we don't like losing games, but we'll be better for the next one."

The game hinged on Jacob Ramsey being sent off with the clock at 45+1 after he was judged to have taken a dive and was shown a second yellow card.

Despite the setback, Anthony Gordon won a penalty after a clash with United captain Bruno Fernandes five minutes later and put Newcastle 1-0 up with his ninth successful spot kick from nine this season.

The halftime whistle had still to be blown when Fernandes, from a set piece, found Casemiro who headed in the equaliser at 45+9.

Newcastle had already started promisingly, with Kieran Trippier hitting the upright in the third minute and the hosts having five good chances in the first 20 minutes.

United had also come close, with Kobbie Mainoo having a goal-bound shot saved by Aaron Ramsdale before Mbeumo blasted over the bar in the 44th.

Ramsdale, making his first league start of the year in goal with Nick Pope on the bench, played a blinder with a series of world class saves.

"With 10 men, well it may as well have been 13 men with the crowd tonight," he said.

"It's been an excellent game for us."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)

((alan.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933;))