Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Romelu Lukaku scored on his first touch after being on the field for 38 seconds during Manchester United's 2-0 win against Newcastle.
The goal helped power the Red Devils to the Premier League shutout on Wednesday at St. James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
United and Newcastle played a scoreless first half before the Belgian star ran onto the pitch as a substitute for Anthony Martial in the 63rd minute. Marcus Rashford stepped up for a free kick moments later, blasting a shot at Martin Dubravka. The Newcastle keeper denied the rip, but couldn't hold onto it.
Lukaku ran in and cleaned up the shot for the first goal of the match.
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He teamed up with Rashford and Alexis Sanchez for the Red Devils' next score. Lukaku and Rashford did a give-and-go near midfield during that sequence. Rashford sent a pretty through ball down the right flank for Lukaku, before the forward scorched down the field.
Lukaku ducked back inside, where he found Sanchez on the edge of the box. Sanchez then sent a precise through ball onto the boot of Rashford on the left side of the box. Rashford placed the ball into the far-post netting in the 80th minute.
"A clean sheet gives you a chance to get three points," United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told MUTV. "Today we didn't play particularly well. We didn't create too many chances until we scored a goal. We were close ... when you keep a clean sheet you always have a good chance to win a game."
United faces Reading in the FA Cup at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
