Carrick had won six and drawn one of his first seven matches since taking charge at Old Trafford in January, but his side failed to take advantage of playing against 10 men and were punished by a late moment of brilliance from substitute William Osula.

United arrived in strong form and sitting third in the Premier League, chasing a top-five finish and Champions League qualification. However, the visitors struggled to impose themselves despite Newcastle being reduced to 10 players late in the first half.

The game exploded into life just before the break. Jacob Ramsey was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for an apparent dive, leaving the hosts a man down. Despite that setback, Newcastle took the lead when Anthony Gordon calmly converted a penalty.

United responded in stoppage time of the first half, with Casemiro levelling the score to make it 1-1 heading into the interval.

Carrick's side pushed for a winner after the break but could not find a breakthrough. Instead, it was Newcastle who produced the decisive moment in the closing stages.

Osula, introduced as a substitute, collected the ball on the right flank and surged forward before cutting inside and curling a superb shot beyond goalkeeper Senne Lammens to secure a 2-1 victory for the home side.

Carrick was frustrated with his team's display.

"We are not happy with the way we played tonight," he said aftwards. "The way the game panned out we had it in our hands largely, but credit to Newcastle and the way they approached it."

"We knew it would be tough. We got ourselves into a position where we could kick on but we didn't. It's bitterly disappointing really."

The United manager refused to blame the numerical advantage for the defeat.

"I don't think it was the 10 men," he said. "We just didn't play well enough. We can't make excuses for that. We all take responsibility."

Despite the setback, Carrick insisted his side remained in a strong position.

"We've lost one game," he said. "In the grand scheme of things we're still in a decent position. Tonight hurts, but we'll be better for the next one."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe praised Osula's winning goal and revealed the forward had stayed behind after training to work on his finishing the day before the match.

"Will asked for 10 more balls after training yesterday," Howe said. "He wanted 10 more finishes and he scored eight out of 10. That's all credit to the player because he wanted to do the extra work."

The victory ended Newcastle's run of three consecutive Premier League home defeats and lifted spirits around St James' Park.

"A massive win for us," Howe said. "We needed it. The lads really stood up in the second half and believed we could win the game."

For Carrick and United, the focus now turns to responding quickly as the battle for the Champions League places continues.

CAF Champions League: Mamelodi Sundowns battle Young Africans for semi-final spot